Sadly, even though there seems to be a larger number of international films crossing over into the mainstream, thanks to film fans gaining access to them, there are still regions and territories that don’t get the shine that others do. Thanks to “Parasite,” the mainstream film fan is now aware of South Korean cinema, for example. But when it comes to Nigerian film, there aren’t many examples of crossover success. Hopefully, that will change thanks to the new feature, “Eyimofe.”
As seen in the trailer for the festival standout, “Eyimofe” is a feature that aims to show the everyday struggle of two people in Nigeria. The first, Mofe, is an electrician who dreams of becoming an engineer and venturing off to Europe for a new life. Then you have, Rosa, a hairdresser who wants nothing more than to go to Italy with her teen sister. However, the hardships of their lives continue to hold them back. The film stars Jude Akuwudike and Temi Ami-Williams. “Eyimofe” is the directorial debut from brothers, Arie and Chuko Esiri.
“Eyimofe” opens at Film Forum in NYC on July 23 before heading to Laemmle NoHo in Los Angeles on July 30. You can watch the trailer below.
Here’s the synopsis:
A triumph at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival, the revelatory debut feature from codirectors (and twin brothers) Arie and Chuko Esiri is a heartrending and hopeful portrait of everyday human endurance in Lagos, Nigeria. Shot on richly textured 16 mm film and infused with the spirit of neorealism, Eyimofe traces the journeys of two distantly connected strangers—Mofe (Jude Akuwudike), an electrician dealing with the fallout of a family tragedy, and Rosa (Temi Ami-Williams), a hairdresser supporting her pregnant teenage sister—as they each pursue their dream of starting a new life in Europe while bumping up against the harsh economic realities of a world in which every interaction is a transaction. From these intimate stories emerges a vivid snapshot of life in contemporary Lagos, whose social fabric is captured in all its vibrancy and complexity.
