Most of us can relate to Bisi Solesi’s story: studied History and International relations, now a screenwriter. Here, we discuss her latest short film, “If Only,” and other tidbits.
Bisi Solesi is a Nigerian Screenwriter based in the UK. She owns VIU BOX, a Youtube platform which features short films in different genres. Her debut, “Spring Back” centres around a troubled marriage that takes a drastic turn on its third-year anniversary. Recently, she followed this up with “If only,” a psychological drama about a young man who is spiralling into the deep end after the death of his lover. For Bisi Solesi, the goal was pretty simple: Make something entertaining that wouldn’t take too much of your time.
“Sometime last two years, I had just had my oldest son and was so bored. I watched a lot of short films within hours, kept me engaged. So I thought, why don’t I have a platform where people can just go on to when they feel like watching short films.” – Bisi Solesi
Released on December 6, 2020, “If Only” explores themes like love, suicide, and mental health, all in six minutes. It features a two-man cast with Shaffi Ibrahim (Obi) and Seun Aderibigbe (Dera).
While VIU BOX may have been inspired by short films, Bisi Solesi has interesting long-term plans for this thriving platform. To start with, there is an ongoing rom-com production in Lagos/UK that has just kicked off following the easing of the lockdown. Bisi also hopes to position VIU BOX as the go-to platform for streaming short films and mini web series. Venturing into feature-length films is also tucked away for future plans. At the end of the day, she wants to write stories that she cares about and watch them recreated for visual appreciation while profiting from it in the long-term.
So, what is the first thing to expect from Bisi Solesi in 2021?
I, for one, am looking forward to the rom-com film but for now, things are still a bit hush-hush. While we wait, enjoy her latest production, “If Only.” You can also check out “Spring Back” available here. Make sure to subscribe to VIU BOX for more amazing content while at it!
Watch “If Only” here:
Production Team
- Story & Screenplay- Bisi Solesi
- Director – Ayoka Thompson
- Gaffer – Tunde olarinde
- Best boy – Kazeem laidi
- Director of Photography – Oluwafemi Oladiji Kelvin Lateef
- Editor – Kelvin Lateef
- Co-editor – Ogun Naira film, UK
- Colourist – Kelvin Lateef
- Sound recordist – Olushola Wilson
- Cast: Shaffi Ibrahim and Seun Aderibigbe
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