Stone sculptures in Osun Grove in Osogbo, Nigeria
There's not a single reason why you should not be following your dreams – the mission that you feel you came to earth to fulfill. Every excuse you offer is just that – an excuse. But all excuses are invalid. There is only one right answer – you will do what your soul instructs you to do.
That's how I interpret the Yoruba proverb that inspires me so much it became the title of the film. The proverb says: “A command from a king cannot be refused/ The King has sent the command/ The river is deep/ A command from a King cannot be refused.”
In traditional Yoruba culture, kings are considered sacred. But I interpret the king as a metaphor for the soul – the higher force that has sent all of us on a mission. “The river is deep” implies that there's a potential for danger; we could even die in the process. But the proverb ends by reminding us that there is no choice but to follow through with the command.
To me this proverb hints at a higher way of living our lives – a more courageous way of being in a world that has lost touch with its soul. I've come to believe that many of us have become so used to living without vision that we think it's normal – we have become so used to living without dedication to anything and unfortunately we think that's normal too.
A closer walk with your vision – a closer walk to who you are. That's what I hope this film will deliver to you.