On Wednesday 14th April Netflix released “Awon Boyz”, a documentary that spotlights the life of young men living on the street. The documentary is produced and directed by Tolulope Itegboye and shot on the streets of Monkey Village, Oshodi and the New Afrika Shrine, Ikeja.
Originally released in 2019, “Awon Boyz” draws the audience into the life of the people popularly called “Area Boys”, while also providing a never seen before view of what it is like to live on the streets of Lagos.
The documentary tells an all-encompassing story of freedom, missed opportunities, love, and self-belief of eight young men.
Muri Malik aka “Ete” talks about his regrets of shunning education for violence while in school. He stated that after the loss of his father, he left Ilorin for Lagos in order to make ends meet. Now he makes money from selling tickets to bus drivers at Oshodi.
Avolumeh Adams aka Volume relocated to Lagos from Kano in search of a better life in Lagos. After going broke and unable to sell his artworks in Monkey village, he becomes a pimp to make a living.
Also read:
– Watch Trailer For Netflix’s South African Original Thriller “I Am All Girls”
– “Therapy”, Cameroon’s First Film On Netflix Has A Message For Couples
– Actress Adunni Ade Says Childhood In Nigeria Was The Darkest Period Of Her Life
Uchenna Jude-Eneh aka Uchman explains how the government is acting as a stumbling block in the way of progress. He explains that the typical area boy doing his best to earn a lawful living is often harassed by the Police.
He said: “They try to hustle, but the way is not pure. Or after hustling, the police stops them and collects all the money. So the area boy thinks to himself, the government has robbed me.”
One common thing with these “Area Boys” is their zest and determination to give their children a better life. A life that is free of drugs, violence, and poverty which they hustle daily to come out from.
“Awon Boyz” is a documentary with a message for everyone. First for parents who birth children into poverty allowing them to fend for themselves without any form of guidance. Then to the Nigerian government with no infrastructure to better the lives of impoverished citizens, allowing the cycle of poverty to continue.
This documentary is presently streaming on Netflix. The 38-minutes flick is educative and insightful.
For your daily dose of tech, lifestyle, and trending content, make sure to follow Plat4om on Twitter @Plat4omLive, on Instagram @Plat4om, on LinkedIn at Plat4om, and on Facebook at Plat4om. You can also email us at info@techtalkwithtdafrica.com and join our channel on Telegram at Plat4om. Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE.