This has to be one of the most dramatic titles to ever appear on a Nollywood film. It seems to be inspired by a verse in the Bible, Proverbs 7:27, which says: “Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.”
A lot of early Nollywood films were inspired by religious morality. It was obvious in the plots and stories of films like Living in Bondage, a film where the main character sold his life to occultic forces and began to suffer horrible consequences. There is also True Confessions, a film we featured on this column last week, where heavy references were made to the importance of goodness and the fear of God. Considering that most of these early films were made in Eastern and Western Nigeria where missionary Christianity really took hold, it’s not surprising that many screenwriters and directors wanted to tell stories that showed their own idea of religious morality.
In Highway to the Grave, a very attractive woman with evil powers ensnares a promiscuous man with her charms. The film shows a lot of explicit and adult content but manages to use this content to promote it’s a religious message. Highway to the Grave was conceived by Helen Ukpabio but was written for the screen by Teco Benson. Music for the film was by Stanley Mgbokwere, the Director of Photography was Solomon Nwoko, and the film was produced jointly by Helen Ukpabio and Teco Benson. The cast of the film included Sonia Cacchus, Regina Askia, Ejike Asiegbu, Jide Kosoko, Tony Umez, Segun Arinze, Helen Ukpabio, Shan George, Lanre Balogun, and Ernest Asuzu.
The infamous Regina Askia was the main character in this film. She played the part of the evil seductress. Regina Askia was a very popular actress in the 1990s, she starred in several films like Most Wanted, Full Moon, Suicide Mission, and Man Snatcher. She was also one of the highest-paid actresses of her time. Some reports claim she commanded N300,000 for a role. In the 90s, N300,000 was a lot of money. Askia left Nollywood in 2007. She moved to the United States, became a registered nurse, and married a Rudolph Williams. We imagine that there are times when she tells her children about her adventures as a pioneer of early Nollywood.
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Helen Ukpabio, the mind behind the storyline of Highway to the Grave, went on to create several other very strange and unforgettable movies. Many Nigerians will remember films like The Coven, End of the Wicked and Egg of Life. Films that terrified you even as they taught you life lessons.
Today, Helen Ukpabio is widely known as an evangelist. Teco Benson also went on to become a prolific director of Nollywood films. In 2005, he was chosen as one of a five-man delegation that represented Nigeria at the 32nd Cairo International Film Festival. In 2006, his movie Explosion was chosen to represent Nollywood in Israel. He won Director of the Year in at the 2011 Best of Nollywood Awards and was nominated for Best Director at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2006 and 2008.
Sources:
Pulse NG
Zikoko
African Filmny
Africa in motion
Featured Image Source: Afrihype
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