I t has been three years since the deadly Ebola virus struck Nigeria and took lives of Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh and others who had contact with Patrick Sawyers . But the late Adadevoh was singled out for praise as her efforts ensured that the virus did not spread more than it did. In documenting the movie and all that happened, Nigerian filmmakers teamed up and produced ‘93 Days’ last year. And the movie has gone ahead to gain international recognition and awards.
Charles Etubiebi, who plays the role of Adadevoh’s only son in ‘93 Days,’ admitted that it was difficult telling the story. He explains to The Point that the first thing the producers did was to have interviews with different characters who experienced the incident directly.
He said, “We had a two-hour interview with the characters to learn their mannerisms and all sorts. We spoke with all the people who experienced the incident. Adadevoh’s son was extremely helpful, as he simplified the process for me. My director, Steve Gukas, was also key; he is a perfectionist.”
He met Adadevoh’s son for the movie, but they are now friends on social media. He had to stalk him before they started talking.
He narrated, “Once in a while, I send him messages, especially during the memorial of his mom. It is not easy to lose one’s mom in that kind of scenario.
“The hardest part for me was the scene at the hospital where the son could only talk to her mother through the window. As an actor, you have to let yourself get into a character before you believe it. It was too much for a person. How can you hear your mother but cannot see her because of an ailment. When we were done, I went to him and cried.”
Etubiebi insisted that the late Adadevoh was only doing her job and he would have done the same too if he was in her shoes.
“She was not saving Nigeria, she was saving her family, Patrick Sawyer and people who could be affected. It just happened that she saved Nigeria. I believe as Nigerians we need to start looking out for others. Eventually, what she did saved the world because if Lagos was under attack, the world was not secured again. We should never underestimate the power of little things, we all know the traffic at the Lagos airport.”
