Veteran filmmaker Zeb Ejiro has revealed that his acclaimed 1996 film Domitilla was inspired by his experiences growing up in Ajegunle, a densely populated area of Lagos.
Speaking on The Legacy Series on June 25, 2026, Ejiro reflected on the origins of the movie, explaining that the story emerged from events and social realities he witnessed after returning to Nigeria from Equatorial Guinea.
According to the filmmaker, he initially spent six months in his village before moving to Lagos, where he lived with his uncle in Ajegunle for an extended period.
“When we came back from Equatorial Guinea to Nigeria, I went to my village and stayed six months and came to Lagos to stay with my uncle in Ajegunle. I was in Ajegunle for a very long time and I saw so many things in Ajegunle growing up. So that story, Domitilla, came from Ajegunle,” Ejiro said.
He explained that the experiences and social issues he observed in the community became the foundation of the film’s storyline, allowing him to create a narrative rooted in real-life experiences rather than fiction detached from reality.
