LOST TRIBE
The lost tribe is a documentary film on the historical
origin of the Ibo race, as black Jews and one of the major tribes in Nigeria. A
people who as immigrants and diasporas are widely dispersed to Europe, Asia and
America including African nations of Burkina Faso, south Sudan, Equatorial Guinea,Sao
Tome,Ghana and many others .
This documentary brings the most revealing, thrilling, provocative
and educative facts on these topical issues of Ibo origin, migration and
historical evolution, including their BIAFRA experience.
Highlights:
Olauda Equiano (1745-31st march 1797) a freed Ibo
slave firstly asserted that the Ibos are a lost tribe of Israel in his
autobiography published in London in 1789 citing cultural similarities with the
Hebrews as the basis for his assertion.
Other writers who have since made similar assertion of
the Ibo Hebrew connection include Dr. G.T Basden an Anglican Missionary and
Anthropologist.
Professor Elisabeth Isichie an Australian Historian, Melville,
Merrskovitas American Writer,
Professor Onwukwe Alaezi,Omabal Fidelis C Idigo, Dr
Charles Ujah and others.
In the 1929 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica was
published that the Ibo people are connected to the Gad tribe of Israel.
Synopsis:
There have been questions over the centuries about the Ibo
origin and identity, who they are and where they come from, given the strong
claims that the biblical eri ,arodi and areli the sons of Gad are the founding
fathers, many the world over have reached the view that the Ibos are
descendants of the Hebrew Gad tribe of Israel.
Through archaeological findings and established ancestral
genealogy, the founding of Ibo race is traced to over 5000 years as the fourth
descendants of Abraham, 3000 years or 38 generation before the birth of Christ and
with the 34th Ibo King in the lineage of Gad presently sitting on
the throne.
The Ibo race is found in their largest world concentration
in the eastern part of Nigeria. With an approximately over 40 million or 30
percent of Nigerian population of 120 million people, they are found in the
seven states of Nigeria(Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo,a nd Rivers)out
of the thirty six states of the country.
The Ibos are also found amongst the Afro –Americans, Haitians,
Jamaicans, Trinidad and Tobago, Liberians and Sierra Leoneans on account of the
generations of Ibo African slaves who were traded to Europe and America between
the periods 15th to 19th centuries
Directors notes
The best analogy I can construct vis a vis producing and
directing this documentary is that of giving birth: the conception was quick, the
incubation period was wearisome, and as the film began to mature ,seeing the
world for the very first time, all you want to do is dress it, feed it, teach
it, and love it. Then the protective instincts kick in, and you’re afraid to
let go.
One of the first things I learned as a filmmaker is that you never finish a film. You just have to know when to let go and walk away. Being a father, this film was like my third child.
Now that LOST TRIBE is completed, the pride I have in
this project is more than I anticipated. The subject matter and the film’s
theme have personally improved my life, and it’s been an honour to be a part of
this project. Here’s to hoping the world loves it as much as I do.
Ubaka Joseph Ugochukwu
Producer,Writer & Director
PRODUCTION NOTE
Sometimes in life you can recognize the moments of
decision will alter the course of your career, or even your life. There’s a
compelling need for me to research my origin as an Ibo, who we are and where we
come from.
It saddens my heart that the Ibos are the only tribe
among the other two major tribes, that is without a proper history, an average
Yoruba person will give an account of Yoruba history, Hausa person will equally
do the same, but we the Ibos are nothing but a lost tribe as far as Nigeria is
concerned. Our culture, language and tradition are receding due to generational
gap.
The completing of this project is like a dream come through,
that will lead us the Ibos through the process of self discovery, which will
also lead to our recovery as a black race.
This documentary will be first of its kind on screen. It’s
inspirational, and I believe this film contribute greatly. In rebuilding the Ibo
nation, and as a source of hope for our present and future generations.
Anthony Chukwudozie Jiendu
Producer / Writer
FACTS ABOUT THIS PROJECT
In October 1995,the Israeli Government of Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin sent an official fact finding mission to the Ibo land in search
of ERI their lost brother, the fifth son of Gad.
On March 28th 1996, the Isreali Ambassador to
Nigeria Mr. Naom Katz made an official visit to the Ibo town of Nri where he
spoke the mind of the Israeli Government that the Ibos are their lost brothers.
* In May 1997,the Israeli Government of Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent yet another official fact finding mission to
the Ibo land on the same fact finding mission.
* On 23rd October,
1997 the USA based Jewish Organisation King Solomon Sephardic Federation sent a
team of its Directors to the Ibo land on the same fact finding mission.
* On October 12, 2005,the
Israeli Magazine Har Ararets published a declaration that the Ibos are sons of
Israel through the lineage of Gad.
PRODUCTION NOTE:
Understanding an original film research work as this from
the scratch with apparently nothing to build on wasn’t a tea party.Much efforts
went into the research designed,planning, materials assembly,field work and
activities coordination
Various obstacles were encoutered prominent amongts which
were raising finance for the project,soucing the required literature materials
as well as securing credible resource persons for interviews.In resolving
this,preference was given to current literary works on the topic complemented
with traditional stories and legends from the custodians of the culture and
tradition of the people.
Quite a lot of travels were made during the field
work.these travel however were not wothout constraints as some of them were
done repeatedly to achieve the required positive result while some others
achieve nothing at the end after all efforts,this was happening when Nigeria
was having problem of fuel subsidy which kept the country on stand still over a
period weeks,irrespective of this fuel crisis we didn’t relent.
These constraint and limitations nevertheless do not
impinge on the quality,credibility and validity of the overall final output of
this film work.Rather,they only serve to invite for further film research work
in future on the topic.
During our post,we discovered that this project will not
end up as just a feature length dicumentary, because every bit of information
in this film is highly informative to the solving of the Ibo origin puzzle.
LOST TRIBE is a four part comprehensive documentary film
of 75 mins each,with different chapters on Ibo question.
