Nigerian Actress in Oscar Nominated PBS Drama Series

The highly acclaimed PBS America TV series, ‘Secretes of the Dead: Slave ship Mutiny’, has for the first time featured a Nigerian actress. Nigerian international model and actress, Sandra Omo Idugboe, featured in the highly rated historical TV series as the only female cast, playing the significant role of the slave whose child died on board as well as the interpreter between the slaves and slave masters.

  

“This was a very challenging role as I had to learn Madagascar for it”, says Sandra for whom the film was her very first trial at acting. Known names involved in the film include American actor Liev Schreiber (Salt and X-Men Origins: Wolverine), directors Nic Young and Joe Kennedy, and an additional interview with South Africa’s leading human rights advocate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Sandra was the first black girl to win the prestigious face of Brighton modelling competition in the UK, as well as the first Nigerian in Diaspora to return home and win the MBGN model crown in 2008, and was honoured with a high achievement award by the Nigerian High commission in the UK. In 2010 she was named Nigeria’s most outstanding model by the Nigerian models achievers Award (http://www.nmaang.com/2010_winner.html). Having done all the international fashion weeks and featured on Gossip TV UK, BBC's documentary on Black Beauty 2008, Channel 4 UK, SABC 3 South Africa, and numerous commercials, the model turned actress says falling in love with acting was the best thing she gained from being a part of the film. “All I want to do since then is act. I am still a model, modelling is my first love but acting is just the passion that drives me crazy right now.” Sandra has also featured in two Nollywood movies to be released later this year.

This historical film is about the slave ship Meermin, whose fatal voyage tells a lost chapter in the history of the slave trade and one of Africa’s first freedom fighters: Massavana, whose story began 250 years ago when the Meermin set sail from Madagascar carrying slaves to South Africa. However, in a dramatic twist of fate, the ship never made it to its final destination. Instead, one man, who refused to become a slave, led his fellow prisoners in a mutiny and took over the ship. They then ordered the Dutch crew to sail them back home to freedom. But the experienced Dutch sailors deceived the slaves and steered the boat towards Cape Town anyway. When the slaves realized what had happened, a bloody battle with militia on shore left the surviving slaves captives again and the Meermin a sinking wreck.

Slave ship mutiny which was also nominated for an Oscar is an Off the Fence production for THIRTEEN in association with ARTE and WNET.ORG for PBS. Joe Kennedy is Writer/Producer. Katharina Pechel is Producer.