How far will a family go to protect the life of a child? In The Stone Drew Ripples, director Orimz explores themes of love and regret. The story follows a Nigerian family as they struggle to support their youngest daughter Simi (Olarotimi Jasmine), who is battling a chronic illness. As her parents and siblings navigate this crisis, they become entangled in a web of betrayal, greed, cyberbullying, and the hypocrisy of both government and religious institutions. With raw desire and deception at its core, the film highlights the lengths to which parents will go to shield their children from mental and physical suffering.
Simi’s father, Babatunde (William Benson), carries the patriarchal weight of the family with a character filled with both passion and sorrow. Benson delivers a powerful and moving performance, balancing the burden of his responsibilities with strength and sadness as he strives to be a role model for his community. The family dynamic is further enriched by Deola (Meg Otanwa) as Simi’s mother, along with her older sister Bimpe (Angel Unigwe) and her brother Wale (Victor Omachi). Otanwa delivers a deeply emotional and gripping performance as the mother of a sick child. Her portrayal allows the audience to feel her internal conflict as she navigates the overwhelming anxiety of how best to support her family. She powerfully conveys a mother’s love, grappling with the difficult question of how far she must go to protect her children. Otanwa masterfully demonstrates a potent maternal drive, all while balancing her emotions with an undercurrent of grief that evokes deep compassion from the audience.
Unigwe brings a calming allure to her performance as she navigates her own teenage challenges while stepping up to support her sister. She must contend with the worst aspects of internet culture—greed, bullying, and hypocrisy—that pervade her world. Omachi delivers a powerful and sensitive portrayal as he grapples with trust and betrayal on multiple levels. He faces the daunting task of overcoming these obstacles, where even the best intentions can lead to disastrous outcomes. The performances in this film arouse a deep sense of empathy in the audience for the characters and their tragic circumstances.
Jasmine’s performance as Simi is both thoughtful and touching as she navigates an emotional roller-coaster. It’s a challenging role for a child actor to tackle such intense and serious material, yet she rises to the occasion. Simi finds solace and expression in her music, culminating in a heartfelt song she creates with pop star sensation Gogoba (Zainab Balogun). Balogun delivers a complex performance, skillfully balancing her character’s inner turmoil with the pressures of maintaining her personal brand, all while trying to help Simi and her family. The audience is drawn into Gogoba’s internal conflict feeling the weight of her complicated dilemmas.
Orimz explores dark territory in this film, where his characters push boundaries, and the story sheds light on the battles of marginalized families striving to overcome the deep-seated injustices of our culture and society. The audience witnesses the systemic failures of the government, healthcare system, and broader cultural institutions, each falling short in addressing these inequities. The film teaches us a harsh truth: sometimes, these obstacles are insurmountable.
The Director of Photography (David Wyte) crafts a vibrant backdrop of colors in the interior scenes and uses bright sunlight in the exteriors, balancing the trauma the characters are enduring. One beautifully shot scene shows Simi watching her friends play soccer in the rain, unable to join them. She stands in front of a barred window, a visual metaphor for her psychological struggle and the confinement imposed by her condition.
Throughout the film, the audience is immersed in a sense of gritty realism that suggests this story could happen to anyone, while also highlighting the harsh realities of the Nigerian situation for audiences. While some of the themes are universal, the filmmaker also seeks to shed light on the personal struggles faced in Nigeria, offering a message of hope for humanity within this poignant melodrama.
New writers, executive producers and owners of REBELUS productions (Belema Don-pedro and Olanrewaju Adeniran) delve into the arduous decisions people must make, exploring the grey areas between right and wrong. It highlights the long-lasting implications when well-intentioned individuals are forced to act out of love. The Stone Drew Ripples skillfully illustrates how the world blurs the lines between good and bad, summed up by the powerful line from the script, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” spoken by one of the religious leaders (Tina Mba). The loving journey of the characters—marked by tragedy, deceit, and suffering—becomes an uplifting testament to the power of the human spirit.
