The Amazing Grace


The Amazing Grace is a 2006 British Nigerian historical drama film written by Jeta Amata and Nick Moran, directed by Jeta Amata and produced by Jeta Amata & Alicia Arce. The film stars Joke Silva, Nick Moran, Scott Cleverdon, Mbong Odungide, Fred Amata and Zack Amata. The film received 11 nominations and won the award for Achievement in Cinematography at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2007.

Premise

The film, occasionally narrated by Joke Silva, tells the reformation story of British slave trader John Newton, sailing to what is now Nigeria to buy slaves. Later, increasingly shocked by the brutality of slavery, he gave up the trade and became an Anglican priest. Newton later wrote the redemptive hymn Amazing Grace and became an abolitionist.

Cast

According to the film, the tune to which we sing the hymn "Amazing Grace" today was appropriated from the tune of an African song. But in reality, more than twenty musical settings of "Amazing Grace" circulated with varying popularity until 1835 when William Walker assigned John Newton's words to a traditional song named "New Britain", which was itself an amalgamation of two melodies first published in the Columbian Harmony by Charles H. Spilman and Benjamin Shaw.