Title: STOLEN PREGNANCY (1 – 3)

Starring: Nana Ama McBrown, Brew Riverson, Grace Nortey, Linda Quashigah, Augustine Abbey

Synopsis:

An older woman finds herself in a pickle when she promised her son’s first born to a ritual priest unaware that her son had become sterile.

Review:

It all started many years ago when Mama (Grace Nortey) took ill. She sought help from the village “ritualist” and he cured her. When she desired a child he helped her again and she became pregnant with her son, Ebo (Brew Riverson). But the magic was not a gift and Mama was expected to sacrifice Ebo’s first born when he became of age.  

Years later when Ebo was an adult and married, an accident caused him to become sterile. He and his wife, Suzie (Nana Ama McBrown) kept it a secret and Mama assumed Suzie was the cause of their childless marriage. She thought Suzie was barren and continuously pressured Ebo to divorce her and marry a fertile woman.

Suzie and Ebo were unaware of Mama’s debt to the priest and they felt helpless when she burdened them with her wish for grandchildren. Ebo was embarrassed about his sterility and he was at his wits end in terms of what to do. 

After some thought Ebo devised a plan where Suzie would get pregnant for another man. The plan was for Suzie to go to a remote village and find a man that had no connection to them or their town. Suzie was reluctant to the idea at first but she later went along with it to save her marriage.  

On her first night in the village she met Baba Moro (Prince Yawson). At the time he was in mourning over the loss of his late wife, Shekina. Long story short Suzie got pregnant for him. Baba Moro’s life changed for the better since he found love again with Suzie. He fondly referred to her as his wife and called her Shekina #2. But to his dismay, a few months into the pregnancy, Suzie disappeared and returned home to Ebo. 

Life resumed a sense of normalcy for Ebo and Suzie. Mama was relieved when she learned Suzie was pregnant and she planned to wait for the baby to become six months old and then steal him. Little did she know, Ebo wasn’t the biological father. 

Meanwhile, back in the village, Baba Moro was devastated and had no idea what happened to Suzie. Sadly, he lost the only two women he ever loved. Months later he drinking and depressed over Suzie’s disappearance but when one of his friends mentioned that they saw a woman in Accra that looked like her, he left for the city to find her. 

With a stolen baby waiting to happen and Baba Moro’s determination to find Suzie, the movie spiraled into an unexpected ending. 

Let’s Talk. Drama defined. This story has all the elements of a good movie – a good tale, authentic characters, and humor. It spans into three parts, a bit long, but never boring. 

The core of the story lies in the grave pressure to have children. Both Ebo and his mother took drastic measures to have a baby. His mother resorted to witchcraft and he had his wife get pregnant for a stranger. Both measures had strings attached that proved to be a detriment to their overall happiness. 

The story also brings to mind an old saying – “what’s one person’s trash is another’s treasure.” While Ebo and Suzie desperately wanted a child their houseboy and his girlfriend disposed of one right under their noses. How paradoxical that Ebo and his wife were a successful couple that couldn’t have children yet the housemaids were blessed with a baby that they didn’t want. 

Also interesting was the fact that Baba Moro’s paternal rights were ignored because of selfish reasons and because he was poor. He was actually used and discarded but good intentions led him in the right direction. 

The movie has a fair share of humor. The scenes with the Baba Moro character were some of the most heartfelt and funniest. I remember cracking up when he was searching for Suzie/Shekina #2 in Accra and he prayed – “God, I sorry o. Make I see my Shekina.” Also hilarious was his first visit to the city. Apparently he had never seen a white person before and he rubbed his skin to see if his color would come off. Funny. 

Performances? Fantastic. Nana Ama McBrown and Brew Riverson were believable as the lead couple. The story and characters were all authentic with no dead weight actors. 

“Stolen Pregnancy” is a traditional African movie that’s loaded with messages. The most prevalent lesson was to have faith as we wait for God’s time. RECOMMEND