For writer-director JB GbagyifilmBoy Mairubutu, filmmaking is not just about telling stories but telling stories that feel real. His latest collaborative project, You Can Eat Your Cake and Have It, continues that pursuit through its exploration of toxic relationships.
Despite the film's subject matter, Mairubutu declines to draw direct parallels between the story and his personal life.
"Even though I have had a share of that, I still won't personalise it. I'm a storyteller who enjoys telling realistic and relatable stories, and this happens to be one of them."
Speaking with The Nollywood Reporter (TNR), Mairubutu explains that You Can Eat Your Cake and Have It, one of three recently released shorts from TEO Productions, follows a manipulative, narcissistic boyfriend and a girlfriend who struggles to choose herself over an abusive relationship.
Although the project was developed in collaboration with producer Eniola Oba, Mairubutu says he solely wrote the story and screenplay.
Writing the film proved more emotionally demanding than directing it.
"I remember taking breaks while writing some of these scenes and returning when my head was clearer," he says, admitting that the emotional abuse depicted in the story affected him during the writing process.
He credits the cast, led by Chimsom Chuka and Moradeke Adeniran, for making the directing process much smoother.
"They're some of the best actors I've directed," he says, while also praising the support of the crew, particularly director of photography Cross. "He understood what I really wanted to achieve."
Mairubutu also recalls creative disagreements with Oba during the screenplay stage.
"There were times we argued about certain parts of the story, but in the end, we were both happy with how it turned out."
One of his fondest memories from production, he says, was the positive attitude of the cast and crew despite unexpected schedule changes.
"I was expecting everyone, including the actors, to be grumpy, but they all seemed happy. Chimsom especially kept cracking jokes. I can't remember having so much fun filming a project."
At its core, You Can Eat Your Cake and Have It examines the realities of toxic relationships and emotional abuse. More than anything, Mairubutu hopes viewers leave with one clear message:
"Just leave, please!"
