The alchemy between modernity and tradition epitomized flawlessly by the Dein of Agbor, His Royal Majesty Benjamin Ikechukwu, Keagborekuzi 1, the cinematic representation of which should have been a pull for millennials and movie buffs in his vaunted biopic, A King Within, may not come to fruition any time soon. About two years ago, award-winning British filmmaker, Tamara Gordon, announced the production of a film titled ‘The King Within’, centred on the variegated life of the acclaimed world’s youngest monarch, his growing up years in London and how he has balanced his traditional responsibilities in a 21st Century society. Gordon, in an interview in 2015, claimed that she was inspired to do the biopic because, “The subject matter proved fascinating.
Nigerian monarchies have experienced massive changes in the last century, and although stripped of their constitutional power in the 1960s, they still rule their kingdoms and function not just as living symbols of customs and traditions, but as portals of ancient wisdom.” She continued, “I decided immediately that I wanted to make a film about Keagborekuzi’s life. For this is the story of a supposed ordinary kid from the streets of West London, who returns to his ancestral land and turns out to be a king.
For all intents and purposes, his life is the perfect modern fairytale, but also reveals the complexities of today’s multicultural world.” Despite the feverish anticipation that trailed the announcement of the production of ‘The King Within’, the movie is yet to be out and no word has been heard about it since then. Gordon, who has worked as a director and producer for the BBC, the United Nations and the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation among others, may have realized that in Nigeria, it’s hard to reinvent the wheel because you can never get the wheel to balance. Recorded in the 1981 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest monarch of his native Agbor in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, as a mere 28 months old in 1979, the very good looking Dein clocks 40 this month.
