| Black November | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jeta Amata |
| Written by | Jeta Amata |
| Produced by | Bernard Alexander Jeta Amata Ori Ayonmike Marc Byers Wilson Ebiye Hakeem Kae-Kazim Dede Mabiaku |
| Starring | |
| Narrated by | Kara Noble |
| Cinematography | James Michael Costello Tommy Maddox-Upshaw |
| Edited by | Debbie Berman Lindsay Kent Adam Varney |
| Music by | Joel Goffin |
Production company | Wells & Jeta Entertainment |
| Distributed by | eOne Entertainment (United States) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Countries | Nigeria United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ₦2 billion (shared with Black Gold)[1] (US$12.5 million) |
Black November: Struggle for the Niger Delta is a 2012 Nigerian-American action drama film starring an ensemble cast that includes Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Mickey Rourke, Kim Basinger, Fred Amata, Sarah Wayne Callies, Nse Ikpe Etim, OC Ukeje, Vivica Fox, Anne Heche, Persia White, Akon, Wyclef Jean and Mbong Amata.[2][3] It is directed and co-produced by Jeta Amata, and narrates the story of a Niger Delta community's struggle against their government and a multi-national oil corporation to save their environment which is being destroyed by excessive oil drilling.[4]
Black November, which derived its title from the month in which activist Ken Saro-Wiwa was executed in 1995,[5] is a reissued version of the 2011 film Black Gold. Approximately 60% of the scenes were reshot and additional scenes were added to make the film "more current".[6] Black November is produced by Bernard Alexander, Ori Ayonmike, Marc Byers, Wilson Ebiye, Hakeem Kae-Kazim and Dede Mabiaku; production and marketing costs of the film totalled at US$22 million,[7] and was majorly funded by a Nigerian oil baron.[7]
The film, which is fiction based on actual events, premiered at the Kennedy Center on 8 May 2012, and was also screened on 26 September 2012, during the United Nations General Assembly; it was met with mixed to negative critical reviews. It, however, had significant impact after release; Amata and the film's associate producer, Lorenzo Omo-Aligbe, were invited to the White House regarding the film; Congressman Bobby Rush and his Republican colleague Jeff Fortenberry were also so affected by the film that they sponsored a joint resolution aimed at pressuring the Nigerian government and Western oil companies to clean up spills in the Niger Delta.[7][8][9]
- ^ "Black November (2012) - Box Office/Business". IMDB. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
- ^ "Wyclef Jean & Akon Starring in Black November". Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
- ^ "Wyclef Jean and Akon will star in Jeta Amata's Nollywood production, Black November". All African Cinema. 4 September 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
- ^ Kogbara, Donu; Otas, Belinda (29 August 2012). "Black November: Niger Delta film spills powerful story". The Africa Report. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
- ^ Seun (5 April 2013). "What Jeta Amata Told Cnn About his new Movie Black November". BON. Best of Nollywood. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- ^ Hoad, Phil (1 February 2012). "Is Jeta Amata Nollywood's gift to Hollywood?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
- ^ a b c Kogbara, Donu; Otas, Belinda (29 August 2012). "Black November: Niger Delta film spills powerful story". The Africa Report. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
- ^ Sesay, Fatima (8 October 2012). "Dede Mabiaku and "Black November": Raising Awareness About The Niger Delta". Sahara Reporters. Archived from the original on 14 December 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
- ^ "Nigerian Oil Baron Captain Hosa Wells Okunbo Funds Jeta Amata's Black November". All African cinemas. 31 August 2012. Archived from the original on 23 July 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2014.