C.J Obasi’s ‘Mami Wata’ Finally Comes Home, Premieres September 8

Ferdinand  Ekechukwu

“Mami Wata” by writer-director CJ “Fiery” Obasi became the first feature by a Nigeria-based filmmaker to debut at the Sundance Film Festival, in January. It premiered at the World Cinema Dramatic competition section of the prestigious Festival, making it the first time a homegrown film secured such a slot at the Sundance, reputed as one of the biggest festivals in the world.

At Sundance, Mami Wata impressed jury, critics and audiences alike. The film won the special jury award for cinematography for Brazilian DOP Lílis Soares’ striking work. It is reckoned as one of the most travelled homegrown Nigeria feature in recent history. With several coveted slots earned at prestigious festivals and movie meets around the world and still counting.

A black and white expressionist fable, Obasi’s Mami Wata tells a simple enough story of good versus evil, and the importance of maintaining balance while hurtling towards societal change. Shot entirely in Benin, West Africa, Mami Wata follows the story of a fictional village called Iyi in West Africa, which is ripped apart by the sickness and death of a boy.

The community says the water goddess Mami Wata should have intervened, putting Iyi’s religious intermediary Mama Efe and her daughters Prisca (Juhen) and Zinwe in peril. Interestingly, Mami Wata is finally coming home to Nigeria. The globe-trotting West African folktale is headed to cinemas in a couple of months, after over seven-year process that brought the folklore to life.

The upcoming, celebrated West African folktale is one of the most anticipated movies by a Nigerian filmmaker. Obasi took to twitter last Thursday, July 13, 2023, to announce the date for the movie’s local premiere writing, “The only way to experience it… MAMI WATA in cinemas across Nigeria September 8.”

Produced by Oge Obasi, edited by Nathan Delannoy, the cast includes Rita Edochie, Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Evelyne Ily Juhen, Kelechi Udegbe, and Tough Bone.