The Nollywood Factory film "The Oratory," directed by Obi Emelonye, will screen in Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday, October 28, and Saturday, October 31, 2026. The Shrine of Mary Help of Christians and Century Cinemax are presenting the screenings, and both will hold at Century Cinemax, Sarit Centre, on the second floor rooftop garden along Karuna Road, by 6pm.
The film was made by The Nollywood Factory in collaboration with the Salesians of Don Bosco. It follows Rev. Fr. Michael Simmons, an American-born priest sent to an elite parish in Ikoyi, Lagos. He turns his attention to the street children of the Makoko slum, who live under the control of a local kingpin named Shuga. In doing so, he confronts the wealthy members of his own parish, who object to his work with the children.
Enyinna Nwigwe plays Shuga in the film. Rich Lowe Ikenna plays Fr. Michael Simmons. The cast also includes Florence Okechukwu, Charles Ukpong, Lawrence Nwali, David Davidson and Temidayo Akingboro.
The film draws directly from the life and teaching of Don Bosco, the founder of the Salesian order, and reinterprets his work for an African setting. Rev. Fr. Cyril Odia, a Nigerian Salesian and executive producer of the film, proposed casting children from the Makoko slum alongside the professional cast, with the aim of building their confidence through the experience. He has said the film reflects Pope Francis's concerns around care for the poor and the environment, drawing on the themes of the encyclical Laudato si'.
"The Oratory" had its world premiere at the Odeon Cinema in Dublin, Ireland, in September 2021. It went on to screen in Turin, Venice, London and Abuja, with cinema screenings in Lagos following later that year. The Nairobi screenings continue that circuit, bringing the film to a Catholic audience in East Africa through the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians at Don Bosco Catholic Church, Upper Hill.
Tickets for the Nairobi screenings are being processed through MPESA Paybill 331662, under the account name DB Movie, with confirmation to be shared with the organisers afterward.
