- Eyimofe (This is My Desire)
- Nigeria2020
- Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri
- 116 DCP
- G
Screening Dates
- July 30, 2021 6:00
- July 31, 2021 3:30
- July 31, 2021 8:30
- August 1, 2021 6:00
- August 2, 2021 8:30
- August 4, 2021 6:00
“Carefully observed and well performed … [Eyimofe] announces the arrival of two sincere new talents … A love-hate letter to a great and flawed city.”
Jordan Mintzer, Hollywood Reporter
Ordinary life in the bustle of Lagos, Africa’s largest city, is vividly rendered in Nigerian twin brothers Arie and Chuko Esiri’s multi-layered first feature, which turned heads at Berlin in 2020 before travelling widely on the festival circuit. Structured in dual narratives titled “Spain” and “Italy,” the film tells the not-quite-interconnected stories of two would-be migrants: Mofe (Jude Akuwudike), a middle-aged electrician navigating the frustrations of Nigerian bureaucracy in the aftermath of a family tragedy; and Rosa (Temi Ami-Williams), a hairdresser and bartender struggling to support her pregnant teenaged sister Grace (Cynthia Ebijie). Popular Nigerian comedian Chioma “Chigul” Omeruah has a small role. The directors cite Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Satyajit Ray as inspirations for their unhurried, observant, naturalistic approach in this quietly affecting drama. The textured, shot-on-celluloid cinematography is by Arseni Khachaturan, who also lensed Georgian filmmaker Déa Kulumbegashvili’s Beginning, another of 2020’s most notable international debuts. In English.
“A low-key charmer … A clear-eyed portrait of a vibrant city, informed by the unfakeable love and well-earned exasperation of two talented native sons.”
Jessica Kiang, Variety
“A stunning feature debut … Eyimofe is part of a promising new wave of Nigerian cinema which seeks to break away from the shadow of Nollywood.”
Chrystel Oloukoï, Sight & Sound