Dr Bello
Doctor Bello is a 2013 Nigerian Adventure drama film directed by Tony Abulu starring Isaiah Washington, Vivica A. Fox, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Genevieve Nnaji, Stephanie Okereke, Justus Esiri, Ebbe Bassey and Jon Freda.
Cast
Movie director
Tony Abulu
Tony Abulu is Chairman of Blaze Channel, USA and Atlantic World Digital Communications.For 40 years, Abulu has propagated African cultural and Business opportunities in the USA. Driven by an unwavering commitment to present a positive global image for Africa and his Native Nigeria in particular, Abulu, while publishing and editing the acclaimed Black Ivory Pan African Business and Culture Magazine, presented the First Africa Music Festival off Broadway, New York City (1990) and The National Troupe of Nigeria, USA tour (1992/ 94).
Following his first movie script “The Scroll” while in College in 1976 in Nigeria, and mentorship with Nigerian film and theatre icon Chief Hubert Ogunde, Abulu shot his first international feature film “Back To Africa” in 1997 and spent the next Ten years creating African film content distribution in the USA, which culminated in the establishment of the powerful Filmmakers Association of Nigeria, USA (FAN, USA) in 2004 and as President and CEO of the company, Abulu facilitated the USA tour of 50 Nollywood Superstar actors, producers and film distributors in the USA in 2005, thereby establishing a mega DVD distribution chain for Nollywood films in the US. By 2010, Nollywood films had become a major cultural force in America but unfortunately, had also attracted a terrible piracy culture. FAN, USA organized a Bi lateral Copyright Conference with the Nigerian Department of Justice and the United States DOJ, attracting major copyright Institutions from both Nations. In 2010, Tony Abulu with the support of the Brooklyn District Attorney’soffice conducted a raid of Nollywood films bootlegging stores all over Brooklyn where the copyright infringement was most rampant.
Earlier in 2005, Tony Abulu had produced the first Nigerian International Film Festival in New York City and established the African Artists Collaborated (AAC) in the US to support African arts products with Pro Bono US Copyright legal services. Abulu had also found time to write, produce and direct other feature films including “American Dream,” “Superstar” “Spellbound” and “Crazy like a Fox” which was nominated in the Best film category at the prestigious American Black Film Festival in Hollywood. By 2012 Abulu decided it was time to raise African film profile in the US and consequently produced and directed the acclaimed Afrocentric piece “Doctor Bello” which premiered at the prestigious Kennedy Centre, Washington, DC and was released unprecedentedly through AMC Theatres all over mainstream American Cinemas. Abulu also received the great opportunity through AMC Theatres, to distribute select African film titles through the mega global cinema chain. "Doctor Bello” starring Isaiah Washington, Vivica A. Fox, Jimmy Jean Louis and Genevieve Nnaji has been acquired by Netflix in a Two-year global release deal, set for April 16 th , 2021. Continuing on his quest to empower Africa’s youth and create massive job opportunities for them, Abulu leveraged on Africa’s under- appreciated and under-utilized low hanging fruit, its Creative Industry already busting with limitless talent.
He embarked on a strategy to facilitate training, content production, global distribution and monetization of the creative industry. Tony Abulu has consequently created and mobilized Blaze Channel Digital monetization platform www.blazechannel.com a self-sustaining and innovative digital monetization instrument to create millions of good paying jobs and hope for Africa’s languishing youth.
The story
Brilliant Cancer specialist Dr. Michael Durant is emotionally troubled, wrestling with the traumatic loss of his 10 year old daughter from Cancer. Immersing himself in his work in the hospital, away from his wife who blames him for their childs death, he forms an unlikely bond with a sick, loving, but rambunctious seven year old boy Sam, the son of a rich Jewish couple who are major contributors to the Hospitals Cancer Research Fund.
Unfortunately, Sams health deteriorates drastically, and soon, he slips into a coma, with only a few days to live. Dr. Durant becomes desperate, willing to risk anything to save the childs life. A surreptitious Nigerian Nurse convinces him to seek the help of Dr. Bello, an uncertified Nigerian Doctor, known in the Brooklyn-African underground as a miracle worker. Dr. Bello, an introvert with a controversial past, secretly visits the child at night and administers a strange African potion, replete with incantations and by the next morning, miraculously, the child begins to recover, the Cancer speeding into remission.
The Hospital Medical Board immediately orders an investigation and soon the secret is revealed and Dr. Durant is suspended. Dr. Bello is arrested and charged with medical malpractice. Dr. Durant soon falls into depression after his wife leaves him. Meanwhile, Dr. Bello has fallen critically ill in jail and can only be saved by the ingestion of the same potion that can only be found in the mysterious Garden of Life, nestled on the peak of Nigerias sky mountains.