Michael Olugbode in Abuja
A Nigerian film series centred on the abduction of 67 children will premiere in Abuja next week, with its creators seeking to turn public outrage over insecurity into sustained civic action and pressure for accountability.
Titled THE QUIET, the four-part series will make its world premiere on Friday, October 30, as the closing film of the fifth Africa Films for Impact Festival (AFFIF 2026) at Silverbird Cinema, near the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
Created by filmmaker Bright Wonder Obasi and produced by High Definition Film Academy (HDFA), the series explores kidnapping, the human cost of insecurity and the dangers of a society becoming accustomed to recurring tragedies.
The premiere, scheduled to begin at 3pm following a 2pm red-carpet session, will be followed by a panel conversation titled, “BREAK THE QUIET: From Outrage to Action — What Must Nigerians Do?”
The discussion is expected to bring together representatives from diplomacy, government, international development, the creative industry and civil society to examine practical responses to insecurity and the protection of vulnerable people.
Obasi said the project was conceived to challenge what he described as the growing tendency to react to tragedies with temporary outrage before moving on to the next disturbing headline.
“We have become very good at reacting to tragedy. We mourn, express outrage, demand answers, and then another headline comes along. Somewhere along the way, we risk becoming accustomed to things that should never be normal. We gradually begin to lose our humanity,” he said.
According to him, the series seeks to move audiences beyond the immediate horror of abductions to examine the broader consequences of repeated violence, public indifference and institutional failures.
“We did not make this film because we believe a film alone can solve Nigeria’s insecurity. We made it because stories can confront uncomfortable truths, bring people into difficult conversations, and challenge us to think differently about our responsibility to one another,” Obasi said.
The filmmaker added that the Abuja premiere was intended as the beginning of a broader engagement rather than an end in itself.
Through impact screenings, engagements with universities and schools, community conversations and partnerships with relevant institutions, the initiative hopes to extend the film’s message beyond cinema audiences.
The post-screening discussion will examine citizen responsibility, institutional accountability, community safety, responsible media engagement and practical measures for protecting vulnerable people.
The programme will feature keynote addresses by the Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, as well as veteran Nigerian filmmaker Steve Gukas.
Representatives of the Italian and Norwegian embassies, Plan International and other diplomatic missions, international organisations, government agencies, development institutions and civil society groups have also been invited.
The filmmakers said the initiative would be anchored on three calls: “BREAK THE QUIET”, urging Nigerians to challenge the normalisation of suffering; “BUILD THE PEACE”, encouraging constructive action towards safer communities; and “REMEMBER THEIR NAMES”, calling for victims not to be reduced to forgotten statistics.
The project comes amid persistent public concern over kidnapping, attacks on communities and the safety of schoolchildren in Nigeria. By placing the abduction of children at the centre of its narrative, THE QUIET seeks to explore how insecurity affects families and communities while raising questions about the responsibilities of citizens and public institutions.
The Africa Films for Impact Festival, an initiative of the Films For Impact Foundation, uses cinema and storytelling to promote dialogue, civic engagement and social transformation.
The 2026 edition will hold in Abuja from October 28 to 30 under the theme, “Reimagine Africa: Storytelling for Transformation”.
The selection of THE QUIET as the closing film, the organisers said, reflects the festival’s commitment to productions that confront urgent social challenges and encourage public engagement.
The organisers have invited media representatives, diplomatic missions, government institutions, civil society groups, filmmakers and members of the public to attend the premiere and participate in the discussion.
For Obasi and his team, the ultimate test of the project will be whether its message inspires audiences to move beyond expressions of concern towards sustained efforts to make their communities safer.
“The premiere is not the destination. It is the beginning of a conversation—and hopefully, a movement,” he said.
The film’s message is summed up in its three-part appeal: Break the quiet. Build the peace. Remember their names.