WORTHY OF THE CROWN

Yemi Oduwale // Gieljan Van Goethem // Roel Nollet // 2014 // 95 min

Worthy Of The Crown is a documentary about tribal culture in modern Nigeria. A journey in search of a lost identity.

Yemi Oduwale, a flemish boy born in '86, has a Belgian mother and a Nigerian father. His grandfather is ill, and he wants Yemi to succeed him as a 'chief' in Nigeria. But Yemi is born and raised in Europe and doesn't know anything about the culture of the Yoruba, one of West-Africa's largest tribes. Besides, it's been more than 15 years ago since he was in Nigeria for the last time. Yemi's grandfather was the 'Ajiroba' of a town called Okeigbo. As the 'right hand of the King', he reigned over a region of 700 square kilometers which has 175 000 inhabitants.

'Yemi', short for 'Adeyemi', literally means 'Worthy of the Crown'. His name alone predestines him for royalty. Furthermore he comes from a royal blood lineage. With the right efforts for the community, he can - in time - become a king. But how can you hold such a title when you don't know anything about the culture? What should you do to earn it? What is the impact of tribal titles on the modern Nigerian society today? Who is actually ruling the country? And how does that effect the proud Nigerian people, whereof 70 percent lives under the poverty line?

Yemi gathers a crew and decides to take off to Lagos, the old capital, where his family lives.

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