Nigerian Filmmaker Kemi Adetiba Opens Up About Bold Decision To Produce ‘To Kill A Monkey’ Film

The Nigerian director Kemi Adetiba has thanked her fans for their overwhelming support and positive reviews of her most recent film, To Kill A Monkey (TKAM), which made clear the risks she took both creatively and emotionally to make the production go.

Adetiba expressed her gratitude in a poignant letter, saying she is still unsure of how to express how much she appreciates TKAM, calling it one of her boldest initiatives to date.

She says the movie explores the moral and emotional complexity of what it takes to push a morally upright person to the brink—and the ensuing fallout—by delving into unvarnished, unadulterated human stories.

“Thank You. I’ve been searching for the words to describe how I feel… To describe the deep gratitude in my SOUL. And honestly, I’m still coming up short. All I can say is… Thank you. Thank you from the bottom-box of my heart!

TKAM is unlike anything I’ve ever done. It was a crazy risk to take, but it was a story! strongly felt I needed to tell – no gloss, no theatrics, no grandiose characters to hide behind. Just a raw, human story about real people, with real struggles, trying to navigate impossible choices. Everyone thinks they know what they’d do when faced with a moral crossroad. But the truth? That answer often comes from a place of comfort and privilege. It’s easy to speak of principles when you’re not staring down hunger or desperation. 
“I wanted to explore what could make a good, principled man snap. How much pressure it would take for him to break. And how would the ripple effect be for everyone around him. The characters move uncomfortably, but true to themselves. They don’t always make the “right” decisions. They do only what they know to do-be human. And then, they have to live with the consequences.

“And then, they have to live with the consequences. The biggest question TKAM asks is: Does the end justify the means? That question, I shall leave for you to answer. But here’s an answer that I do have: You all turned tkam into a monster hit!! Your word-of-mouth, your shares, your conversations, they crashed in like a tsunami and took over the entire space. You guys have power!!! And most importantly…You validated this story.

“You validated every actor, every character, every crew member, every long night and hard decision that went into building this project. You validated me! And I will never forget this feeling. So, on behalf of the entire TKAM team-thank you. For watching. For talking. For caring. For showing up in the most powerful way possible. We’re humbled… We’re overwhelmed by the love… We’re grateful beyond words”.

Live with Purpose, Love with Passion. Remember to be happy

‎One ❤️❤️❤️

‎Rose Ajieh