''Orun Mooru'' ( ''Heaven is Hot'') is a 1982 Nigerian

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Ola Balogun Ola Balogun (born 1 August 1945) is a Nigerian filmmaker and scriptwriter. He also ventured into the Nigerian music industry in 2001. Balogun, who has been making films for more than three decades, is part of the first generation of Nigerian filmm ...

and produced by

Moses Olaiya Moses Olaiya (18 May 1936 – 7 October 2018), better known by his stage name "Baba Sala", was a Nigerian comedian, dramatist, and actor. A Yoruba from Ijesha, Baba Sala, regarded as the father of modern Nigerian comedy, alongside other drama ...

(Baba Sala). The film narrates the story of a once successful businessman who was tricked by a herbalist into a failed

get-rich-quick scheme A get-rich-quick scheme is a plan to obtain high rates of return for a small investment. The term "get rich quick" has been used to describe shady investments since at least the early 20th century. Most schemes create an impression that partic ...

, and then decides to commit suicide.

Plot

''Orun Mooru'' narrates the story of Karounwi (Moses Olaiya), a basketmaker who lives in a fishing village. Flashback shows that he used to be a thriving businessman, until he was tricked by a Babalawo (herbalist) into believing that he could fill oil drums with money. Karounwi receives a loan of ₦500 from a friend. He loses all the money; half to a pickpocket, and the other half when his wife exchanged the drums he saved the money for new plates. This turn of events led him into committing suicide and he finds himself in the underworld. Iku (means: ''

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

'') tells him that he isn't ready for his coming, Karounwi then ascends to meet the Ayo (means: ''Joy''), who then sends him off with two magical eggs and two of her disciples, to escort him back to earth. Upon reaching earth in a lavish mansion, Karounwi has sex with the two disciples from the underworld, then breaks one of the eggs, which transforms into a huge pile of money. He goes ahead to break the second egg, despite the standing instruction not to do so. Upon doing so, Death appears. Karounwi is seen coming into his shack in the fishing village. A flashback shows that he has been fished out of the water from under the bridge he had thrown himself to commit suicide.

Cast

as Lamidi *

King Sunny Ade King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

as himself (cameo) *

Production

The film was originally shot on

35 mm film 35 mm may refer to: * 135 film, a type of still photography format commonly referred to as 35 mm film * 35 mm movie film 35 mm film is a film gauge used in filmmaking, and the film standard. In motion pictures that record on f ...

, but was reduced to

16 mm film 16 mm film is a historically popular and economical gauge of film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 and 35 mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, educ ...

for distribution and exhibition. The underworld scenes of the film were shot at the Osun Grove,

Osogbo Osogbo (also ''Oṣogbo'', rarely ''Oshogbo'') is a city in Nigeria. It became the capital city of Osun State in 1991. Osogbo city seats the Headquarters of both Osogbo Local Government Area (situated at Oke Baale Area of the city) and Olorund ...

Reception

''Orun Mooru'' went on to be a very successful film, but its success was cut short, when it was pirated and bootlegged before it concluded its theatre run.

Critical reception

Kenneth W. Harrow states: "The themes of over-reaching greed and wild swings from the village life from the lavish property and back again, are close to the heart Nigerian national experience during the oil boom years ..Propelled by his moral wills, Baba Sala bounces among four sharply opposing realms".

Piracy

Not long after the theatrical release of ''Orun Mooru'', it got pirated and bootlegged following the theft of the film's master celluloid tape. The piracy happened before the end of the theatrical run of the film; several cinemas in different cities across the country screened the film without being licensed to do so and remuneration never reached the producers. The loss incurred as a result of this piracy significantly affected the career of Moses Olaiya in the film industry, as well as his personal life. The piracy of ''Orun Mooru'' has been reported as a first major incidence of piracy in the Nigerian film industry.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0084450, Orun Mooru Nigerian comedy-drama films 1982 films Nigerian supernatural films 1980s supernatural films Nigerian fantasy films 1980s fantasy comedy-drama films Films about death Nigerian nonlinear narrative films Films shot in Osun 1982 comedy films 1982 drama films