Published: July 02, 2023| 11:40 PM

A black and white, visually intoxicating drama Mami Wata – A West African Folklore is a story of sisterly love, tradition and spirituality, specifically the belief in a powerful water goddess. The audience at KVIFF was introduced to the film, claiming to be part of the Nigerian New Wave, by its director C.J. “Fiery” Obasi and producer Oge Obasi at the Pupp Cinema. 

For director Obasi, the film, shown as part of the Horizons section, was very personal. Perhaps that is why the journey from the idea to the first screening took seven long years. “I wrote ten versions of the script in the first two years, but I wasn’t really happy with any of them. I had to rethink what I wanted to say with the film and how I wanted to do it. But most importantly, I needed to realise that it actually tells the story of my deceased sisters. That is why the film is also dedicated to them,” he told the audience after the screening. 

Obasi likes to reach for themes with deeper meaning outside of the mainstream, and his latest film goes directly against current trends in Nollywood– the robust mainstream Nigerian film industry. The overall positive feedback from the Sundance festival confirms that his specific approach to films yields fine results.