Shorts Program 2—Najia (Nigerian) Stories

Q&A with Abbesi Akhamie, Gladys Edeh and Opiyo Okeyo

Short works by filmmakers in Nigeria or diasporic filmmakers making films about Nigerian subjects from around the world.

Birth of Afrobeat
Opiyo Okeyo, U.S., 2017, 7m
New York Premiere
In September 2017, Tony Allen, a 77-year-old drummer from Nigeria was invited to record the album “What Goes Up” with the American band Chicago Afrobeat Project. In this hybrid live-action/animated film, Allen recounts how he and his partner, the late music legend Fela Kuti, created the Afrobeat genre in Lagos, Nigeria.

Eja Aro
Badewa Ajibade, Nigeria, 2017, 14m
New York Premiere
Lolade is a young woman in her early twenties who has been in a long-distance relationship with Jubril Hassan for one year. Her brother, Seye, and her best friend, Ebele, both find it peculiar that she has yet to see Jubril in person.

Las Gidi Vice
Udoka Oyeka, Nigeria, 2017, 19m
New York Premiere
After a couple years of planning, a girl finally gets her revenge on the guy who ruined her life.

The Good Son
Tomisin Adepeju, UK, 2016, 14m
English and Yoruba with English subtitles
Kunle Owomole is a dutiful Nigerian son, the pride of his family. However, during a traditional family gathering, he is forced to address a secret he has kept from his parents, one that would have a profound impact on his relationship with them.

Mr. Gele: The Man. The Story. The Craft
Gladys Edeh, U.S., 2016, 14m
New York Premiere
Mr. Gele focuses on the man, the story, and the craft of the celebrated Houston-based Nigerian gele (African headwear) artist Mr. Hakeem Oluwasegun Olaleye, popularly known as Mr. Segun Gele, a self-taught creative who has been able to use his skills as a designer and makeup artist to beautify women around the world.

Still Water Runs Deep
Abessi Akhamie, Nigeria/U.S., 2017, 15m
English, Etsako, Hausa, and Pidgin with English subtitles
New York Premiere
Still Water Runs Deep follows a Nigerian patriarch who leads his household with a stern hand. But when his estranged son goes missing, his reluctant search turns into an emotional journey, shaking the core of his steely resolve and revealing his most intimate being.

Visions
Surreal 16 (Abba T. Makama, Michael Gouken Omouna, C.J. “Fiery” Obasi), Nigeria, 2017, 19m
U.S. Premiere
This anthology film, made up of three shorts inspired by dreams and visions, explores a young woman’s identity, relationship, and spirituality. Each short is directed by a member of the collective Surreal 16: Shaitan by Abba Makama, Broodby Michael Omonua, and Bruja by CJ “Fiery” Obasi.