Diana Childs conceived the idea for ‘143’ after being worn out from seeing men enjoy age-gap relationships—relationships where men are much older than their partners, and women sometimes shunned for it. Her exhaustion led her to flip the script in ‘143’, thereby challenging stereotypical norms.
‘143’ is the latest project from DC Productions, written by Diana Childs. The production is behind ‘Flaws’ and ‘Mirrors’. ‘143’ marks a new era for the production as they make their cinema debut. The film is directed by Jide ‘JBlaze’ Oyegbile, who started off as an accelerate filmmaker. He also left his directorial mark on ‘Bloodhound’ and ‘Cheat’.
True to its title, ‘143,’ which is an internet slang for “I love you,” explores the love between an older woman, Karis (Diana Childs), and a younger man, Kachi (Obinna Okenwa). In crafting the script, Childs wanted to make it clear her stance on this kind of relationship: “I know there are definitely women who are attracted to younger men. I know there are younger men who are attracted to older women. Why is that something that is unheard of or taboo or forbidden when really we are just human beings at the end of the day?”
Oyebile, who has been friends with Childs for a while, also shares the same sentiment: “Live your life. You’ve got one life. All the rules that we know are things that are passed to us from one generation to another. People are saying it’s this, it’s that. No one really knows. It all boils down to your beliefs. So whatever works for your beliefs.”
While the movie shines a light on age gap relationships, it also tackles domestic violence. Karis is trapped in an abusive marriage with Kenny, played by Baaj Adebule, praised for ‘The Mens Club’ and ‘Flawsome’. Childs want people in abusive relationships to watch this and find the courage to leave. “If you are in an abusive relationship, I hope you do your best to get out of it and you speak to your loved ones,” Childs admonishes.
The performance of the main cast is boosted by the strong slate of supporting cast, which includes Tina Mba, Tomiwa Tegbe, Uzor Arukwe, Blessing Onwukwe, Chy Nwakanma, Brutus Richard, Rosanne Chikwendu, Daniel Abua, Bryan Okoye, and Lolade Okusanya.
For Diana Productions, there is more on the horizon. Childs teased projects, including an action-drama scheduled for next year. “I’ve played it safe with dramas and love stories, but I’m ready to push boundaries,” she revealed. The past two years have been about building her muscles, and she is ready to dig deeper. “The future is bright, and I’m just getting started.”
