When words are not enough, music emerges to heal broken family bonds in the melodic drama Dust to Dreams. Written and directed by Idris Elba, the Nigerian-based short film, also produced by EbonyLife media mogul Mo Abudu, follows Millicent (Nse Ikpe-Etim), a beneficiary of her late father’s legendary, yet dwindling Lagos nightclub, who aims to pass on the family business to her musically inclined daughter, Bisi (played by a former Nigerian Idol contender Konstance), despite pressure from other family members to sell the property.
After receiving news about her terminal illness, which only solidifies Millicent’s desire to keep the popular nightclub in the family, she decides to finally introduce Bisi to Johnson (Seal), her estranged father, who left for the army long before she was born. Through their newfound connection on the precipice of Millicent’s illness, the two must get to know each other through the only way they know how: singing and creating music.
Dust to Dreams premiered this year at the Toronto International Film Festival and recently debuted at the London Film Festival. Here, Deadline speaks with Abudu about bringing her vision to life, working with Elba, and getting the world to see Africa in a more diversified way.
MO ABUDU: Collaborating with Idris goes back a few years. We both decided that we’re committed to telling African stories in a particular light, and from that collaboration came Dust to Dreams, a story I had written, so I shared that with him. Then he looked at that and liked the story idea, then asked if he could adapt the story. I had no issues with that. I’m at a point in my life where collaboration is so powerful. When he adapted the script, the spirit of the story was still very much there, and that was the beginning of it.
Initially, I wanted Idris to play the role of Johnson, the singing soldier. He actually had agreed to do so. Then, at some point during our discussions, he came up with the bright idea that Seal would play the role. And I’m like, “Well, I don’t have access to Seal. How are you going to get Seal? He’s in Los Angeles, and we are shooting this in Lagos.” But like magic, he did it. We were able to get Seal involved in this project. So, he played the role of Johnson, and that was beautiful. The basis of our partnership is that we are both dedicated, committed, and passionate about telling our stories around the world, but in a way that the global audience will understand and be able to relate to. In all the feedback we receive about Dust to Dreams, it’s largely about how relatable the story is. Because it’s a story about family, legacy, and music, these are all universal themes that people understand.
I think the world needs to wake up and understand that there’s more to Africa than pity porn and poverty porn, which, unfortunately, is what people expect to see of us at any point in time. We are not wanting to be cast in that category of producing a particular type of narrative that sidelines what [African people] can be because that’s not all we are.
ABUDU: I think that the world has played a significant role in telling a one-sided story about the continent for the longest time. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but we really need to take some responsibility for the storytelling, in terms of what we want the world to see of our continent. That responsibility is thrust upon us. Filmmakers and storytellers like myself and Idris feel a sense of responsibility to telling particular types of stories. I keep going back to the fact that it can’t just be pity porn or poverty porn. I see people on the streets of LA and New York who are literally sleeping rough and are homeless – poverty is everywhere. But the impression you get is that Africa is poor. It’s not just Africa. Africa is rich in resources. It’s rich with people who possess huge amounts of talent that need to be explored, whether in our music, fashion, or many other entrepreneurial journeys that people on the continent of Africa are undertaking.
I think what’s important is to be able to find ways in which we can portray that. One of the low-hanging fruits is to do that in film and to do that in music. I believe our responsibility is in getting those stories out to the world. And when you take a film like Dust to Dreams, it’s relatable. It’s a slice of life about a nightclub that an aging father leaves behind to his next of kin. And now the family is at odds over what to do, with some members wanting to sell the nightclub. This story could have taken place in New York, Chicago, or Lagos because it’s important for people to understand that we go through those same motions as well. And where there’s conflict, there will be resolution.
With this particular story, it was about the journey. It was the journey of the mother. And I’m a mother and a grandmother. So, therefore, I understand what the journey of being a mother is. I can only imagine what the journey would be, God forbid, if I were given a certain amount of time to live. How would I tidy up my affairs, and what are the things I would do? It’s really just about putting these story ideas out there and showing the world that, as much as you may feel and do certain things, we also will feel and do certain things and make certain decisions about family and life as well. I think that’s the essence of the story that we have told.
ABUDU: I don’t think Seal has ever acted before. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first major role that he’s had in terms of being an actor. I don’t think he wants to be called an actor, but he’s kind of crossed into that a little bit. The response and the feedback has been that people love this performance. He’s very authentic about his performance. Also, there’s a song coming out of this film, it’s the one they perform at the end, called “Mama.” It was written by Seal, Konstance and a group called The Cavemen.
DEADLINE: Let’s talk about the theme of that song. So, you’ve got Johnson meeting his daughter Bisi for the first time. And they created that song after the loss of Johnson’s former flame, Bisi’s mom. It’s a lovely moment, but why the decision to keep him estranged from the family?
ABUDU: We’re going to have to assume certain things, because as you know, not everything is seen in the film. Someone asked me before that if I could add 10 minutes onto the film, what I would like to have seen happen? And I would have liked to explore the backstory in a flashback, particularly the relationship between Milli and Johnson, which would’ve been good to explore, especially when he worked at the nightclub. The backstory is that years and years ago, before their daughter was born, Milli worked at her father’s nightclub. At some point, he packed his bags and decided to join the army. He then goes off to the army, having had a relationship with Milli, unaware that Milli was even pregnant. So, she decided to raise this child by herself.
But it’s only now that she’s dying that she now realizes that she wants the father of her daughter to be in her daughter’s life. So, she looks out and reaches out for him, and then he says, “Milli, you asked for me to come. I’ve come. What’s wrong?” And that’s when we find out that she’s dying, and she just wanted her daughter and the father to have this relationship and this bond. The backstory is that she also knows her daughter can sing, but the daughter hasn’t expressed that singing talent in a way that she should have, perhaps out of fear or shyness. And she knows that this talent comes from the father, because the father also sings. When you see them in the solicitor’s office, when the will’s being read, her dying wish is that they perform together. And we see that happen at the end of the film, and that brings everybody together.
ABUDU: It played at the Toronto International Film Fest, and the feedback was awesome. The room was full of applause for the movie. The reviews were good. It’s now going to play at the London Film Festival soon, which we’re very proud of. And what I want people to take away from the film, I think, is how I started this interview with you, is that there’s more to Africa and to our stories than pity porn and poverty porn. We are full-rounded individuals. We are people who have the same desires and aspirations as everybody around the world. We’re human. And I think sometimes that the humanity that people see in the rest of the world is not often extended to us. It’s almost as if we’re stuck in this time capsule of poverty and despair on the continent, which is often what they see.
And I think what we’re doing with this story is to say, “This is a slice of life from Lagos today.” The energy in Lagos is just as intense as the energy in New York. It’s a beautiful city that’s full of life and energy. And music plays a very important part in our lives on the continent. We wanted music to be a part of this film, and we wanted family to be a part of this film, and legacy, because this nightclub was willed to Milli, and, obviously, now to her sisters and her daughter. It’s also about the relationship dynamics between men and women. Things happen. Here she is, she’s pregnant, the guy has gone off. She decides not to bother him. She raises her child by herself. This happens everywhere, as well as in Africa, as well as in Lagos, Nigeria. And it’s important for people to know that this can also be our reality, and it is often our reality, and for people to relate to the humanity, that this can be a story that could have been told in Lagos, London, or Los Angeles.
Credit: Deadline
After receiving news about her terminal illness, which only solidifies Millicent’s desire to keep the popular nightclub in the family, she decides to finally introduce Bisi to Johnson (Seal), her estranged father, who left for the army long before she was born. Through their newfound connection on the precipice of Millicent’s illness, the two must get to know each other through the only way they know how: singing and creating music.
Dust to Dreams premiered this year at the Toronto International Film Festival and recently debuted at the London Film Festival. Here, Deadline speaks with Abudu about bringing her vision to life, working with Elba, and getting the world to see Africa in a more diversified way.
MO ABUDU: Collaborating with Idris goes back a few years. We both decided that we’re committed to telling African stories in a particular light, and from that collaboration came Dust to Dreams, a story I had written, so I shared that with him. Then he looked at that and liked the story idea, then asked if he could adapt the story. I had no issues with that. I’m at a point in my life where collaboration is so powerful. When he adapted the script, the spirit of the story was still very much there, and that was the beginning of it.
Initially, I wanted Idris to play the role of Johnson, the singing soldier. He actually had agreed to do so. Then, at some point during our discussions, he came up with the bright idea that Seal would play the role. And I’m like, “Well, I don’t have access to Seal. How are you going to get Seal? He’s in Los Angeles, and we are shooting this in Lagos.” But like magic, he did it. We were able to get Seal involved in this project. So, he played the role of Johnson, and that was beautiful. The basis of our partnership is that we are both dedicated, committed, and passionate about telling our stories around the world, but in a way that the global audience will understand and be able to relate to. In all the feedback we receive about Dust to Dreams, it’s largely about how relatable the story is. Because it’s a story about family, legacy, and music, these are all universal themes that people understand.
I think the world needs to wake up and understand that there’s more to Africa than pity porn and poverty porn, which, unfortunately, is what people expect to see of us at any point in time. We are not wanting to be cast in that category of producing a particular type of narrative that sidelines what [African people] can be because that’s not all we are.
ABUDU: I think that the world has played a significant role in telling a one-sided story about the continent for the longest time. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but we really need to take some responsibility for the storytelling, in terms of what we want the world to see of our continent. That responsibility is thrust upon us. Filmmakers and storytellers like myself and Idris feel a sense of responsibility to telling particular types of stories. I keep going back to the fact that it can’t just be pity porn or poverty porn. I see people on the streets of LA and New York who are literally sleeping rough and are homeless – poverty is everywhere. But the impression you get is that Africa is poor. It’s not just Africa. Africa is rich in resources. It’s rich with people who possess huge amounts of talent that need to be explored, whether in our music, fashion, or many other entrepreneurial journeys that people on the continent of Africa are undertaking.
I think what’s important is to be able to find ways in which we can portray that. One of the low-hanging fruits is to do that in film and to do that in music. I believe our responsibility is in getting those stories out to the world. And when you take a film like Dust to Dreams, it’s relatable. It’s a slice of life about a nightclub that an aging father leaves behind to his next of kin. And now the family is at odds over what to do, with some members wanting to sell the nightclub. This story could have taken place in New York, Chicago, or Lagos because it’s important for people to understand that we go through those same motions as well. And where there’s conflict, there will be resolution.
With this particular story, it was about the journey. It was the journey of the mother. And I’m a mother and a grandmother. So, therefore, I understand what the journey of being a mother is. I can only imagine what the journey would be, God forbid, if I were given a certain amount of time to live. How would I tidy up my affairs, and what are the things I would do? It’s really just about putting these story ideas out there and showing the world that, as much as you may feel and do certain things, we also will feel and do certain things and make certain decisions about family and life as well. I think that’s the essence of the story that we have told.
ABUDU: I don’t think Seal has ever acted before. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first major role that he’s had in terms of being an actor. I don’t think he wants to be called an actor, but he’s kind of crossed into that a little bit. The response and the feedback has been that people love this performance. He’s very authentic about his performance. Also, there’s a song coming out of this film, it’s the one they perform at the end, called “Mama.” It was written by Seal, Konstance and a group called The Cavemen.
DEADLINE: Let’s talk about the theme of that song. So, you’ve got Johnson meeting his daughter Bisi for the first time. And they created that song after the loss of Johnson’s former flame, Bisi’s mom. It’s a lovely moment, but why the decision to keep him estranged from the family?
ABUDU: We’re going to have to assume certain things, because as you know, not everything is seen in the film. Someone asked me before that if I could add 10 minutes onto the film, what I would like to have seen happen? And I would have liked to explore the backstory in a flashback, particularly the relationship between Milli and Johnson, which would’ve been good to explore, especially when he worked at the nightclub. The backstory is that years and years ago, before their daughter was born, Milli worked at her father’s nightclub. At some point, he packed his bags and decided to join the army. He then goes off to the army, having had a relationship with Milli, unaware that Milli was even pregnant. So, she decided to raise this child by herself.
But it’s only now that she’s dying that she now realizes that she wants the father of her daughter to be in her daughter’s life. So, she looks out and reaches out for him, and then he says, “Milli, you asked for me to come. I’ve come. What’s wrong?” And that’s when we find out that she’s dying, and she just wanted her daughter and the father to have this relationship and this bond. The backstory is that she also knows her daughter can sing, but the daughter hasn’t expressed that singing talent in a way that she should have, perhaps out of fear or shyness. And she knows that this talent comes from the father, because the father also sings. When you see them in the solicitor’s office, when the will’s being read, her dying wish is that they perform together. And we see that happen at the end of the film, and that brings everybody together.
ABUDU: It played at the Toronto International Film Fest, and the feedback was awesome. The room was full of applause for the movie. The reviews were good. It’s now going to play at the London Film Festival soon, which we’re very proud of. And what I want people to take away from the film, I think, is how I started this interview with you, is that there’s more to Africa and to our stories than pity porn and poverty porn. We are full-rounded individuals. We are people who have the same desires and aspirations as everybody around the world. We’re human. And I think sometimes that the humanity that people see in the rest of the world is not often extended to us. It’s almost as if we’re stuck in this time capsule of poverty and despair on the continent, which is often what they see.
And I think what we’re doing with this story is to say, “This is a slice of life from Lagos today.” The energy in Lagos is just as intense as the energy in New York. It’s a beautiful city that’s full of life and energy. And music plays a very important part in our lives on the continent. We wanted music to be a part of this film, and we wanted family to be a part of this film, and legacy, because this nightclub was willed to Milli, and, obviously, now to her sisters and her daughter. It’s also about the relationship dynamics between men and women. Things happen. Here she is, she’s pregnant, the guy has gone off. She decides not to bother him. She raises her child by herself. This happens everywhere, as well as in Africa, as well as in Lagos, Nigeria. And it’s important for people to know that this can also be our reality, and it is often our reality, and for people to relate to the humanity, that this can be a story that could have been told in Lagos, London, or Los Angeles.
Credit: Deadline
