Once ambitious individuals who came to Lagos to pursue their dreams in the big city, the subjects of ‘Awon Boyz’ are now living another dream in the streets of Lagos, writes Vanessa Obioha
The opening scene to ‘Awon Boyz’, a Netflix documentary directed by Tolulope Itegboje, launches with the lines of Uchman (Uchenna Eneh), defining what success means to him. He dabbled in his thought process and later resolved that no one is truly successful in every sense of the word.
This theme of success became the launch pad upon which every other subject told their stories. Once ambitious individuals, who came to Lagos to pursue their dreams in the big city, they now live in squalor, lording the slums where they reside. Whether it be Volume (Avolume Adams), an artist who pimps out ladies to men in Monkey Village, or Ete (Muri Malik), who lost his father at the age of 12, their collective dreams reveal a yearning for better livelihood.
It is easy for the ordinary person who walks past these individuals without any hint of their backstory to assume it was simply in their plans to form a legion of an organised gang. On the other hand, they, too, don’t know how to tell their stories, and this is what ‘Awon Boyz’ brilliantly achieved.
Shot in Monkey Village, Opebi, Oshodi, and the Fela Afrika Shrine located in Ikeja, the footage stretched across its 38-minute run revealed the stark differences existing between the haves and the have-nots. In bold steps, it explored parts of Lagos often not shown in the media. Seeing the living conditions and the tenacity to survive impacts a level of humanity to their personalities. The director excelled at presenting an organic view of these individuals in their immediate environment where they are most comfortable interacting.
The flick also delved into why some of these individuals resort to crime. Volume narrated how the law enforcement agents make people like him an easy target to send to jail. In his words, “if you don’t have anything to earn a living, once you’ve been to prison, you will not be scared of anything that will take you anywhere because you’ve been to the last bus stop.” His words pointed to the reform the law enforcement system sorely needs.
Throughout its run, the ambitions of these individuals seeped out. They showed a willingness to pursue their dreams amid challenging circumstances. In one voice, they blamed the government for not providing jobs that are much needed. However, it might be hard to ascertain if they will be willing to join the workforce if the opportunity avails itself, seeming they might have gotten comfortable in these hoods where they rule as kings.
While the ‘streets’ marked freedom for most of them, they pointed out that it is a struggle living in a world where anything can happen to anyone without any ramifications. ‘Awon Boyz’ also manifested a softer side to these individuals.
Avolume, Uchman, and Yobo (Jerome Roland) are all fathers. At points where they discussed their family, a certain calm demeanour became apparent. It was as though they knew someone was looking up to them to serve as role models.
By and large, ‘Awon Boyz’ helped its audience realise the importance of people’s backstory. Every time you feel the urge to call a disadvantaged person miscreant, street urchin, hooligan, area boy, and Agbero, remember that you are talking to people who failed in their original goals in life and now resort to making ends meet by all means.
