MAMI WATA
Special Features: Centerpiece Screening. Q&A with filmmaker C. J. "Fiery" Obasi
In the oceanside village of Iyi, the revered Mama Efe (Rita Edochie) acts as an intermediary between the people and the all-powerful water deity Mami Wata. But when a young boy is lost to a virus, Efe's devoted daughter Zinwe (Uzoamaka Aniunoh) and skeptical protégé Prisca (Evelyne Ily Juhen) warn Efe about unrest among the villagers. With the sudden arrival of a mysterious rebel deserter named Jasper (Emeka Amakeze), a conflict erupts, leading to a violent clash of ideologies and a crisis of faith for the people of Iyi. C. J. "Fiery" Obasi's (JUJU STORIES) potent modern fable deploys vivid black-and-white cinematography, rich sound design and a hypnotic score in a folk-futurist style both earthy and otherworldly. Obasi depicts a pitched battle between opportunistic militants promising technological progress and a matriarchal spiritual order living in fragile harmony with the ocean. MAMI WATA transports viewers to a place that seems both suspended in time and perhaps running out of time, as the threats of modern life wash up on its shores. (Note courtesy Sundance Film Festival.) Winner, World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award, 2023 Sundance Film Festival. DIR/SCR C. J. "Fiery" Obasi; PROD Oge Obasi. Nigeria, 2023, b&w, 107 min. In West African Pidgin with English subtitles. NOT RATED
No AFI Member passes accepted.
Run Time: 107 Minutes
Opening Date: Friday, March 24, 2023
Genre: Fantasy drama thriller