Okpue’s ‘A Song From The Dark’ Explores The World of African Mysticism

Nigerian British filmmaker, Ogo Okpue’s debut feature film ‘A Song From The Dark’ currently streaming on Amazon Prime, explores the world of African mysticism.

The supernatural thriller flick tells the story of a woman who hires a reluctant spirit hunter, after the death of her husband, to expel an evil spirit tormenting her family. Unknown to the spirit hunter, the family has a dark secret they have sworn to keep hidden at all cost.

Addressing the need to spotlight the little-known world of African mysticism in cinema, Okpue said, the genre thus far has been vilified.

“America has Superman and Ironman. The UK has Harry Potter. Japan and China have the Flying Swordsmen and mystical Ninjas. India has Tonnes. What do we have? I think in Africa our superheroes have slept long enough. African stories are as diverse and as entertaining as the continent itself, so, I thought, “why not add more African heroes to the fictional world of cinema?”

‘A Song From The Dark’ is positioned to ingrain heroes and heroines of African traditional mysticism with similar audacity as western films that have entrenched superheroes like Superman, Wonder Woman and Iron Man.

The movie packs a rich cast of Nigerian and Ghanaian actors like Nse Ikpe Etim, Wale Ojo, and Vanessa Vanderpuye. They are joined by Lola Wayne, Garcia Brown, Peace Oseyenum, Paul Coster who all delivered gripping performance.

Prior to the release of ‘A Song From The Dark’, Okpue is known for his short films Saving Cain and Cat Face. Both have been screened at global film festivals. He won the Best Director Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) 2022, and the Best Director, American Black Film Festival (ABFF).