Lead actress, Uzoamaka Aniunoh has expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to work with Daniel Oriahi, revealing that it was an honour to land the role.
Uzoamaka first came into the spotlight with her role as Cynthia in the MTV Shuga series. Since then, she has featured in several notable projects, including Sundance award-winning film, Mami Wata, Amazon Prime movie, With Difficulty Comes Ease and Showmax original series, Diiche.
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Speaking with Shockng on August 30, 2024, at the premier of The Weekend, Aniunoh shared that she had been looking forward to working with Daniel Oriahi and Trino Studios ever since she saw his film Sylvia.
“I said yes to the project because it’s a fantastic story, I really loved the story. Secondly, I loved the people who were going to make the film. Trino Studios and Daniel Oriahi’s collaboration has just been a match made from heaven. I watched Sylvia, loved it very much and from then on, I really looked forward to working with Daniel. When I was invited to audition for it, I felt aesthetic, I felt privileged, it was an honour. Then when I was booked for the role, I was over the moon. I was just like, this was a dream come true for me. I wanted to work with them. Making The Weekend was amazing, I loved it,” she said.
Discussing her approach to character portrayal and acting, Aniunoh emphasized her preference for subtle acting.
“I lean on the side of subtlety, I’m a huge fan of subtle acting. Yes, there’s a place for dramatics, there’s a place for loud, there’s a place for all of these things but you need to know the story that you are telling, who your character is, your background, where they are coming from, what they’ve dealt with in their lives that is informing them being loud, and so if it works, then it works, otherwise, stick to who your character is,” she added.
She concluded by highlighting the importance of watching the movie, adding that she doesn't necessarily believe family is everything.
“The Weekend is thrilling, it’s enjoyable, it's amazing. It will make you think about your ideas about family. I think family is not everything , when you watch it, decide for yourself,” she concluded.
The Weekend is a psychological thriller that follows Nikiya, an orphaned woman yearning for a sense of belonging, as she visits her fiancé's seemingly perfect family, only to uncover their dark secrets. It stars Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Bucci Franklin, Meg Otanwa, Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey, Gloria Anozie-Young and Damilola Ogunsi.
The Weekend is now showing in cinemas nationwide.