Naman Shrestha
The directorial feature-length debut of Editi Effiong, Netflix’s ‘The Black Book’ is a Nigerian thriller movie that centers upon a deacon named Paul Edima whose innocent son gets framed for a kidnapping for which he is not responsible at all. When even the police turn out to be corrupted and of no help in seeking justice for his son, Paul decides to take justice into his own hands and fight everyone, including the authorities, to absolve his son of the false accusations.
With Richard Mofe Damijo as the leading man, the crime drama film features several other talented cast members in supporting roles, including Ade Laoye, Sam Dede, Alex Usifo Omiagbo, Olumide Oworu, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, and Kelechi Udegbe. While the suspenseful tale keeps the viewers on the edge of their seats from the beginning to the end, the use of some interesting locations like the police station, the church, and Paul’s gloomy residence, makes one wonder where ‘The Black Book’ was shot. If you are curious about the same, let’s explore all the related details!
The Black Book Filming Locations
‘The Black Book’ was filmed in its entirety in Nigeria, particularly across Kaduna State and Lagos. Shot during the COVID-19 pandemic, from January 2021 to April of the same year, the cast and crew members went through a lot together on set. The makers were working with a limited budget already and when the COVID-19 outbreak struck, the shooting had to be halted for 10 long days, which cost them a lot as even though they had stopped shooting, they were paying for them.
Getting their spirits back up was a tough ask for the filming unit, but, as the director Editi Effiong mentioned in a heartfelt post, Taiwo Ajayi-Lycett inspired him and as a result, lifted the rest of the crew to get back and finish what they had started. Moreover, the lead actors had to be trained to handle weapons while the extras were taught gun handling, safety, and movement on set. Now, without wasting any time, let’s get a detailed account of all the specific locations that appear in the Netflix film!
Kaduna State, Nigeria
The capital city of the eponymous state, Kaduna, hosted the production of ‘The Black Book’ as the filming unit set up camp across the city for shooting purposes. A few kilometers away from the city is the Maraban Jos Trailer Park, which served as one of the primary production locations. It is a sprawling community on the ever-busy Kaduna-Zaria highway that got its name because travelers going to Jos, Plateau State, take their course from this spot. It seems that a few scenes were also recorded in Kujama, the Chikun Local Government Area headquarters situated in southern Kaduna state.
Lagos, Nigeria
Additional portions of ‘The Black Book’ were reportedly lensed in Lagos, which was the former national capital of Nigeria. Having the tallest skyline in all of Nigeria, the city’s architectural styles are quite diverse, ranging from tropical and vernacular to colonial European and ultramodern buildings. So, you should watch out for some local landmarks and skyscrapers in the backdrop of some sequences, including the Civic Tower, Tinubu Square, the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, the Cathedral Church of Christ Marina, and the National Theatre.
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