Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Ini Edo, has been moved to tears after her new movie, “A Very Dirty Christmas,” faced criticism from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) over its title.
CAN had issued a statement signed by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, calling the film’s title offensive and disrespectful to the Christian faith. The association said Christmas is a sacred celebration that marks the birth of Jesus Christ and stands for purity, peace, love, and redemption.
CAN said that linking Christmas with the word “dirty” takes away from the spiritual meaning of the season and turns a serious religious event into something crude and sensational. The group also recognized the value of creative freedom but emphasized that artists should act with responsibility and sensitivity, especially in a diverse country like Nigeria.
In response, Ini Edo via her Instagram on Friday, explained the meaning behind the movie’s title. She said the title is meant to be metaphorical and represents the themes and stories in the film.
In a recent update, the actress, visibly upset, pleaded with the Christian Association to give her film a chance. She said she would try to change the title and asked for some time to do so.
She also said she never meant to disrespect Christians or God, and explained that she is a Christian herself.
“I can’t believe the movie title is hurting people this much. This is me saying I am sorry. Since it is, don’t pull my film down, Give me a fair fighting ground, let people go watch my film and say this film degrades Christians and Christianity, then I will pull it down,” she said, tearfully.