Spring 2026 Yoruba Film Script (by Ajara Jagne and Diamond Urey)

Updated Film Idea– In this lifestyle vlog, famous Madison-based TikToker/influencer  Ruby Marie (@RubyInThe608), who is known for her “American Girl Learns Yoruba” series, crosses paths with Kemi. Kemi is a new international student from Ibadan who is currently losing her battle with the Wisconsin wind. Through a series of chats and campus tours, the duo explores the emotional tug of war of being a student: missing the loud, fragrant markets of Nigeria and the chaotic energy of family, while finding beauty in the quiet, icy shores of Lake Mendota. It’s a story of sisterhood, linguistic bridges, and the universal search of community.

Ibudo: “Ohun ti o sele saaju…” (Previously on…)

(Fidio bere pelu orin Afrobeats. Orisirisi aworan a maa yara yipada bii ti TikTok.)

Ruby (Ohun re nikan): E kaaro gbogbo aye! Emi ni Ruby, e ku amojuba 608.

[Aworan]: Ruby joko si inu “Graduate Room” ni Memorial Library. O di kaadi kan mu ti a ko “Omi” si i. O mu omi die. Ruby: Ojo karundinlaadoota (Day 45) ti mo ti n ko ede Yoruba. Ah, ahon mi si n kalo, sugbon a oo de be!

[Aworan]: Ruby n rin lo ni “State Street”. Afefe otutu n fe irun re dandan. O n wo inu kamera pelu oju rire. Ruby: Madison rewa, sugbon afefe yi? Ko ni owo rara! Ti n ko ba ri enikan lati ba soro laipe, n oo bere si ni ba awon ere titi soro.

[Aworan]: Kemi joko ni tofo lori aga “Terrace”. O n wo foto oja ni Naijiria lori foonu re. O dabi eni ti otutu n pa. Ruby (Ohun re nikan): Nigba naa ni mo ri i. Kemi. O sese de lati Ibadan, ko si mura sile fun osu March ni Wisconsin rara.

[Oro lori oju-iri]: VLOG ONI: IBADAN X MADISON LINK UP

Scene One: Kemi’s Arrival 

E nle o, gbogbo aye! Ruby Marie ni mi. Mo wa ni Bascom Hill lowolowo bayi. Orun n ran, sugbon otutu n bami ja! Mò fẹ́ lọ dàn ara mi wò pẹ̀lú ṣisọ̀ èdè Yorùbá mi díẹ̀. Mo ri enikan ti o dabi enipe o ti sọnu… ẹ jẹ ki a lọ beere lọwọ rẹ.

(Hello everyone! I’m Ruby Marie. I’m at Bascom Hill right now. The sun is out, but the cold is fighting me! I want to practice my Yoruba a bit. I see someone who looks lost… let’s go ask her.)

(Ruby walks up to KEMI, who is squinting at her phone and turning in circles. Ruby keeps Kemi in the frame.)

KEMI

(O gbo iforo Ruby ni ede Yoruba) Se o le so Yoruba?

RUBY

Beeni! Pele o ! Se o n wa ibikan ni? O dabi enipe o ti sọnu die. (Subtitled: Hello! Are you looking for somewhere? It looks like you are a bit lost.)

KEMI

(Looking up at the camera, startled but relieved) Ha, e se o! Bee ni. Mo sese de lati Ibadan ni lana. Ori mi si n yi pelu mapu yi. (Subtitled: Oh, thank you! Yes, I am. I just arrived from Ibadan yesterday. And my head is spinning trying to read this map!)

RUBY

(Flips the camera to “selfie mode” so both girls are in the shot. She’s beaming.) Ibadan! E gbo yen? Omo Ibadan ni! (Back to Kemi) Omo Amerika ni mi. Mo wa lati New York City. Oruko mi ni Ruby Marie. Mo je akeeko ni Ẹ̀kọ́ Àṣà Áfríkà ni Yunifasiti Wisconsin ni Madison yii. E kaabo si Madison, ore mi. Ni afi kun, mo je akeeko ni Yoruba.

KEMI

(Laughs, leaning into the camera frame, waving) Omo, Kemi Jangele ni oruko mi. E se pupo, Ruby. (She suddenly shivers, pulling her coat tighter and looking right into the lens) Sugbon otutu ibi yi n bami ja o! Otutu yi kọja agbara mi!

RUBY

(Laughing, doing a “peace sign” to the camera) E kaabo si Wisconsin, Kemi! Maṣe yọ ara rẹ lẹnu, Mo gba ọ. Jẹ ki a lọ wa diẹ ninu iferan!

[SCENE END]

Scene Two: Adagun na (The Lake)

Eto: Memorial Union (by the lake)

RUBY

Ma lo foya jare. Wa mo ibi gbogbo laipe. Terrace ni yi. Ibi yi l’o l’ewa julo ni campus yi paapaa nigba ti orun ba n yo.

Don’t worry at all. You will get to know your way around soon. This is the Terrace. This place is the most beautiful spot on campus, especially when the sun is out.

KEMI

Chai! Omi yi tobi pupo! Se adagun omi ni yi abi omi okun? Afefe yi n fe mo mi l’oju bi enipe o fẹ́ gbẹ́ mi lọ.

Chai! This water is huge! Is this a hi lake or the ocean? The wind is blowing in my face like I offended it.

RUBY

(rerin) O rọrun lati ronu bẹẹ. Sugbon so fun mi, bawo ni nkan se ri ni ile ni Ibadan? Se o saaro ile gan ni?

(Laughs) It’s easy to think that. But tell me, how are things back home in Ibadan? Do you really miss home?

KEMI

Chai, mo saaro ile mi gan! Ariwo oja ati oorun dodo ti won n din ni corner. Mo ni awon ibeji meji ati aburo kan ni ile. Won a ma pariwo “Sister Kemi!” nigba gbogbo. Ibibayi dake ju, o n dambami.

Chai, I miss my home so much! The noise of the market and the smell of the dodo (fried plantains) they fry at the corner. I have twins and one younger sibling at home. They are always shouting ‘Sister Kemi!’ all the time. This place is too quiet, it’s unsettling me.

RUBY

Mo mo nkan t’o n so. Emi na ni awon aburo ibeji, Daniel ati Darren. Won n gbe ni New Jersey pelu awon obi mi nisin. Ti mo ba wa ni ile, ori mi ma n gbona pelu ariwo won sugbon ti mo ba wa ni Madison, nkan kan ma n nise mi.

I know what you are saying. I also have younger twin siblings, Daniel and Darren. They live in New Jersey with my parents now. When I am at home, my head gets hot from their noise, but when I am in Madison, I feel like something is missing

KEMI

O tito! Se won ma n yo e lenu bi ti temi? Awon temi ma n ka gbogbo message mi, won a si ma bere fun owo candy!

Exactly! Do they trouble you like mine do? Mine read all my messages, and they are always asking for money for candy!

RUBY

Bee ni!!

Yes!!

Scene Three: Jeun ni State Street (Eating on State Street)

(Possibly give a tour of restaurants on state street?)

Eto: Ile ounjẹ tabi lori State street. .

RUBY

Bawo ni? A wa nibi ni opopona Ipinle ni bayi ati pe a maa gba ounjẹ diẹ!

Hello guys! We’re here on State street now and are going to get some food!

KEMI

Beeni!

Yes!

RUBY

Njẹ o ti jẹun loni?

Have you ate yet today?

KEMI

Ra ra?

No?

RUBY

Nibo ni o fẹ lati jẹun?

Where do you want to eat?

KEMI

Ko da mi loju

I am not sure

RUBY

Kini ounjẹ ti o fe ran ju?

What is your favorite food?

KEMI

Mo feran ounje Asia. Mo feran nudulu.

I like Asian food. I like noodles.

RUBY

O dara! Njẹ o ti jẹ ounjẹ Asia eyikeyi nibi ni Opopona Ipinle?

Lovely! Have you ate any Asian food here on State Street?

KEMI

Rara,  sugbon emi yoo feran lati je.

No, not yet, but I would like to.

RUBY

O dara! Jẹ ki a rin lo si ita, ati pe emi yoo fi awọn ounjẹ oriṣiriṣi ti a ni han ọ. A ni orisirisi awọn ounje Asia.

Lovely! Let’s walk through the street, and I’ll show you the different restaurants we have here. We have different Asian restaurants.

(O funni ni irin-ajo ati atunyẹwo ti awọn ile ounjẹ Asia ati ohun lori wọn ni ede Yoruba)

(Gives tour and overview of Asian restaurants and voice over them in Yoruba)

RUBY

Kemi, se iwo fe lo si Chen’s Dumpling House?

Do you want to go to Chen’s Dumpling House?

KEMI

Bẹẹni, o dabi pe o dara!

Yes, it looks good!

RUBY

O wuyi!

Nice nice!

KEMI

O dara!

Sounds good!

RUBY

A n lo si ofisi oluko kekere ni Bradley lehin ounje lasan. Mo ro pe ofisi TA ni Bradley ni pataki fun iwo.

We’re going to the TA office in Bradley after lunch. I think the TA office in Bradley is important to you.

KEMI

Emi ko le duro!

I can’t wait!

(O le ṣafikun diẹ ninu awọn aworan fidio ti ounjẹ ati agbekọja ohun ni Yorùbá ti n ṣapejuwe ounjẹ naa)

(Can add in some video shots of the food and audio overlay in Yoruba describing the food)

Scene Four: Ipari (The Conclusion)

Setting: Ruby’s Awon Oluko Kekere Ofisi (ni Bradley Memorial)

RUBY

Kini o n ro nipa ounje osan wa loni?

What do you think about today’s lunch?

KEMI

Mo feran re, o dun.

I like it, it was delicious!

(PAUSE)

RUBY

Mo ti ro pe wa feran lati wa si ibi yii lehin kilassi.

I thought you would like here after class.

KEMI

O le se ise ni ofisi?

You can do work in the office?

RUBY

Beeni o le se ise ni ofisi yii saaju kilassi, lehin kilassi, tabi fun awon ipade pelu awon akeeko.

Yes, you can do work in this office before class, after class, or for meetings with students.

KEMI

O dara!

That’s good!

RUBY

Se o ni awon ibeere?

Do you have a question?

KEMI

Beeni! Se o ni ile ounje Naijiria ni Madison ?

Yes! Do you have a restaurant for Nigerian food here in Madison?

RUBY

Ra ra, sugbon Milwaukee ati Chicago ni ile ounje fun ounje Naijiria!

No, but Milwaukee and Chicago have Nigerian food restaurants!

KEMI

Se a le lo si ile ounje ni Milwauke e jo?

Can we please go to the restaurant in Milwaukee?

RUBY

Beeni, a le lo!

Yes, we will go!

KEMI

E se gan-an ni oooo! Mi o le duro!

Thank you so much! I can’t wait to go!

RUBY

O dara! Ẹ ṣeun tí ẹ darapọ̀ mọ́ wa loni! Ẹ jọ̀wọ́ ti ẹ ba mọ ile ounjẹ ti o dara ni Miwaukee tabi Chicago, jẹ ki mi mọ!

Lovely! Thank you for joining us today guys! Please if you know any good restaurants around Milwaukee or Chicago, let me know!

IPARI (THE END)

Notes & Cast Information

Diamond “Eniola” Urey- Ruby Marie Smith

Ajara “Kemi” Jagne – Kemi Jangele

This script is a conglomeration of work by Kemi and Eniola.

Eniola wrote the first two scenes

Kemi wrote the last two scenes

 We collaborated on the film idea and the Yoruba dialogue to make sure it felt like a natural bridge between our two perspectives.

Ruby Smith is NOT a real influencer, all individuals mentioned in this script are completely fictional.