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This article covers information about the trending movie, ‘A Tribe Called Judah’. It covers the following sections –

· Plot summary

· Production Information

· Cast

· Performance in Cinemas and Box Office

· What the press is saying

· Questions viewers have about the film

Plot Summary

A Tribe Called Judah showcases the life of five brothers -Emeka Judah, Pere Judah, Adamu Judah, Shina Judah, and Ejiro Judah, with their mother, Jedidah Judah.

Jedediah Judah is a single mother who has five sons, each from a different father, who hails from a different tribe in Nigeria. Emeka, the first son, was born to an Igbo man, Kalu, who put Jedidah in the family way and relocated. The second son, Adamu, is the son of a Hausa man, Bako, from Kano, who dated Jedediah but had to leave her as his family rejected her because she was not a Muslim. Shina is the third son of Jedediah. His father, Lekan, was his older siblings’ tutor when he fell in love with his mother. However, Lekan eloped with another woman after Shina was born. The fourth son is Pere. His father had married Jedediah; unfortunately, he died, leaving Jedediah a widow. At the peak of her grief and depression, Jedediah got pregnant after she had a one-night stand at a bar. This led to the birth of her fifth son, Ejiro.

Just as the tribes into which the sons were born differ greatly, so does their personality and preferences. The two older sons, Emeka and Adamu, are responsible and provide for the family. Emeka works in sales at a mall, while Adamu was a security guard in the same organisation. The younger three, however, brought trouble home now and then.

Once, it was Pere, a chronic pickpocket, who almost got burnt when caught in the act. He narrowly escaped as his mother intervened. At another, it was Shina, a hoodlum, who had just gotten in trouble with his peeps and was arrested and taken into custody. The most intriguing part of their being in trouble would be when all five sons planned and executed a robbery to get money to pay their mother’s hospital bill.

Romance is also captured in the movie with Ejiro Judah spending all his time and all he had on his girlfriend, Testimony.

One of the life lessons in ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ is motherhood and the sacrifices that come with it. Jedediah, the lead female character, continued supporting her sons despite their lifestyles. Once, she had to sell one of her rickshaws (tricycle commonly known as Keke Napep in Nigeria) to get Shina out of jail. A second outstanding part of the lessons will be the challenges that single mothers face as they raise their children.

‘A Tribe Called Judah’ also captures the evil men could conceive and execute for the love of money, sibling rivalry, office politics, and jungle justice.

Production Information

Movie title: A Tribe Called Judah

Directed by: Funke Akindele & Adeoluwa Owu

Written by: Funke Akindele, Collins Okoh, & Ishola Akinlabi

Story by: Funke Akindele

Produced by: Funke Akindele

Cinematography: Barney Emordi

Production Company: Funke Ayotunde Akindele Network (FAAN)

Distributed by: FilmOne Distribution

Release Date: December 15, 2023

Country: Nigeria

Genre: Comedy

Languages spoken in the movie: English, Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Pidgin 

Running Time: 2 hours 14 minutes

Cast In ‘A Tribe Called Judah’

Here are some selected cast in the movie.

S/N	ACTOR	CHARACTER
1	Funke Akindele	Jedidah Judah
2	Jide Kene Achufusi	Emeka Judah
3	Uzee Usman	Adamu Judah
4	Timini Egbuson	Pere Judah
5	Tobi Makinde	Shina Judah
6	Olumide Oworu	Ejiro Judah
(Emeka, Adamu, Pere, Shina, and Ejiro are brothers, all sons of Jedediah Judah)
7	Genoveva Umeh	Testimony
8	Ebele Okaro	Grandma
9	Uzor Arukwe	Chairman Chigozie Onouha
10	Paschaline Alex Okoli	Mummy Michael
11	Sinmi Hassan	Daddy Michael
12	Fathia Balogun	Mama Caro
13	Boma Akpore	Deji
14	Juliana Olayode	Hilda
15	Nse Ikpe Etim	Collette
16	Yvonne Jegede	as Modupe
17	Gregory Ojefua	Pluto

Release And Performance – Cinemas And Box Office

The movie – A Tribe Called Judah – grossed over ₦113 million in its opening weekend in cinemas. It is the first Nollywood movie to hit this mark in cinemas within the time frame.

The movie has also left a record at the box office where it amassed a staggering ₦122 million at the Box office in less than two weeks (Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria records). It hit one billion Naira early in January 2024; which is 3 weeks from the release date. Once again, the first Nollywood Movie to reach such height. The poll is still rising.

According to the Nigeria Box Office on X, ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ grossed ₦55M – ₦75M a day during the festive period. It made ₦728M as of Dec 30th, 2023.

A tribe called Judah ranks as the 4th movie in the history of Nigerian cinemas to gross over N376 million in their first two weeks

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Press Release

Funke Akindele dedicated the movie- A Tribe Called Judah – to her late mother, Adebanjo Akindele.

“As celebrities stormed the premiere of ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ on Sunday, Nollywood star, Funke Akindele, expressed deep emotions as she dedicated the movie to her late mother, Adebanjo Akindele.” – Premium Times

“Funke Akindele’s cinematic prowess has once again taken Nollywood by storm with her blockbuster, ‘A Tribe Called Judah.’ The film, which had its grand premiere at the Filhouse Cinema IMAX, Lekki, Lagos, on December 10, 2023, marked a momentous occasion in the Nigerian film industry.” – Prime Business

“A Nollywood film has smashed box office records, becoming the first Nigerian movie to earn 1bn naira ($1.1m; £900,000) in domestic theatres.” – BBC News

Questions Viewers Are Asking About The Movie – A Tribe Called Judah

Different people have different questions they wish were answered but three of those caught my attention as they recur.

1. Each of the Judah boys spoke his father’s dialect. They also could understand the other languages spoken in their home to some extent. How did they learn their languages?

2. Why was the costume party held at the mall?

3. What happened to Grandma Judah?

If you have an answer to any of these questions, you can shed more light on them in the comment section.

If you have more questions, ask away. Just as we have fun watching the movie, ‘A Tribe Called Judah’, questions pop into our minds. As the acts answer some questions we have, we expand our understanding and imagination about life.

REFERENCES

1. A Tribe Called Judah – Movie
2. Aradi Gloria (2024-01-05), A Tribe Called Judah becomes highest-earning Nigerian film | BBC News, Retrieved 2024-01-26.
3. Box Office, (2023), A Tribe Called Judah (2023) | Retrieved (2024-02-21)
4. Dennis, Da-Ala Mirilla (2024-01-02) ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ is the highest-grossing Nollywood title of all time |Pulse Nigeria Retrieved (2024-01-26)
5. Erezi, Dennis (2023-12-11). “Glitz, glamour as Funke Akindele premieres ‘A Tribe Called Judah’” | The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
6. George, Astor (2023-12-290) 6 Questions We Have About “A Tribe Called Judah” | Zikoko! Retrieved (2024-01-26)
7. Ileyemi, Mariam (2023-12-12). “Funke Akindele dedicates ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ to late mother, as movie hits cinemas weekend”| Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
8. Stephen, Onu (2023-12-25). “MOVIE REVIEW: ‘A Tribe Called Judah’: Funke Akindele’s masterpiece of drama with comedy”| Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
9. Oloruntoyin, Faith (2024-01-26). “Funke Akindele’s ‘A Tribe Called Judah’s Trailer Promises Heist-Like Drama”| Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
10. Somto Bisina (Dec 2023) Funke Akindele’s ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ Is 2023 Nollywood’s Biggest Film | Prime Business Africa. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
11. Toromade, Samson (2024-01-26). “Funke Akindele’s ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ Off To Record-Breaking ₦122.7m Box Office Start”| Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
12. Udugba, Anthony (2023-12-19). “A Tribe Called Judah: Akindele Taps Street Marketing To Box Office Success”| Businessday NG. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
13. Udugba, Anthony (2024-01-04). “‘A Tribe Called Judah’ Becomes Nollywood’s First N1bn Film”| Businessday NG. Retrieved (2024-01-26).