‘La Femme Anjola’ to Premiere in New York

Vanessa Obioha

The 2021 African neo-noir crime thriller, La Femme Anjola (The woman Anjola), is set for a North American premiere on Sunday, November 21, 2021.

The screening, which will be at the prestigious MCC Theater, is a collaboration between African Film Festival and MCC Theater, reputed to be one of New York’s leading non-profit Off-Broadway companies.

This first of its kind event precedes a global streaming of the film between November 25 and November 28, 2021.

Directed by Mildred Okwo and written by Tunde Babalola, the crime thriller, which premiered in Nigeria in March to great reviews, tells the story of a young Lagos investment banker whose life is upended when he falls in love with the wife of a gangster. The film stars Rita Dominic, Nonso Bassey, Mumbi Maina and Femi Jacobs.

The film recently fetched four Africa Movie Academy Awards nominations, including lead roles nods for Dominic and Bassey.

“As a filmmaker, I am drawn to telling stories that capture the essence of my observations and ‘La Femme Anjola’ is one of such films,” said Okwo. “With this project, I had the opportunity to present a classic noir tale with a distinctively African twist; one that speaks for the times as it chronicles the journey of a young middle-class man who is simply a product of today’s Nigeria. In many ways, his story is the story of a modern-day Nigerian.”

The premiere was brought together by Walk Tall Girl Productions, a United States of America-based boutique marketing, audience development and group sales agency for the performing arts.

It is indicated that ‘La Femme Anjola’ will be presented in conversation with MCC’s current production of ‘Nollywood Dreams’ written by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Saheem Ali. The productions will be presented with strict compliance to COVID-19 protocols.