The film, which was inspired by a true story,[4] is set in Lagos city and tells the story of two housewives whose bond of friendship seem unbreakable, but is filled with deceit and betrayal; in the midst of the darkness that hovers above their relationships with their spouses. The film was initially scheduled for release on 23 January 2015,[5] but was delayed due to censorship.[6] It was eventually released on 10 May 2019.
Heaven’s Hell has been flagged as a film that intends to help fight domestic violence against women and children.[4] Aduwak states: "...as it seems, domestic violence is still handled with kid's gloves in this part of the world. Ultimately, I want Heaven’s Hell to liberate people. I want it to inspire someone to get out of a bad relationship [..] whatever it can accomplish to make the world a saner place".[7][8] The development of the film took a year,[9] after which principal photography commenced on 9 April 2013 in Lagos with the major cast.[7][10] A couple of scenes were shot in Kirikiri Maximum and Medium Security Prisons in Lagos.[11] Filming in Lagos lasted over three weeks,[9] after which shooting was moved to Wales, where some scenes were also filmed.[12] The film was shot using Sony F55 cameras,[10] and the film's production was led by Jeffrey Smith.[7] The project was majorly financed by BGL Asset Management Ltd & One O Eight Media, with production support of other partners such as Hashtag Media House, and Aberystwyth University.[4][13]
Soundtrack
The official soundtrack from the film, titled "3rd World War", was performed by Jesse Jagz and Femi Kuti, and was released on 7 August 2013.[14]
Promotions and release
A press conference for the film was held on 8 April 2013 at Clear Essence, Ikoyi, Lagos, where it was announced that the film would be released in the third quarter of 2013.[10][15] It was however postponed due to unknown reasons.In December 2014, FilmOne Distribution officially announced that the film would be released on 23 January 2015;[5][16][17] it has however been delayed by the Nigerian Films and Video Censors Board due to the presence of some "explicit and inciting content". The filmmakers have been advised to re-edit the film before it can be released.[6] The distribution of the film which was initially helmed by FilmOne, has now been taken over by Genesis Distribution. The film was eventually released theatrically on 10 May 2019.
