Joel Benson on Making ‘Mothers of Chibok’ 

Award-winning director Joel ‘Kachi Benson recently premiered his latest documentary on the tragic Chibok girls’ abduction at the annual documentary film festival Doc NYC in New York. The documentary follows the lives of four mothers over a farming season, capturing their perseverance in the wake of the 2014 tragedy when Boko Haram militants kidnapped their daughters in North-east Nigeria. The documentary is lauded for Benson’s visceral portrait of the mothers’ resilience, faith, and enduring hope.

Speaking on his journey making the film, Benson shared that he returned to Chibok in 2021, two years after he made his award-winning virtual reality ‘Daughters of Chibok’ which fetched him the prestigious Best Immersive Story award at the 76th Venice International Film Festival, making him the first African filmmaker to win in that category.

“In the almost three years that I spent making this new film,” he began, “observing the women tirelessly plant and harvest peanuts, season after season, I noticed how much their hard work is often diminished by the middlemen who undercut their profits, leaving them with barely enough to sustain their families. For years, their hard work has been undervalued, their livelihoods dictated by others who benefit from their labour.  But what if we could change this dynamic and place the power directly in their hands?”

Passionate about impact storytelling, Benson is keen on providing new lenses to see these women. 

“For the past decade, the world has been telling the same story of Chibok—one of tragedy, loss, and victimhood. But I’ve witnessed something greater, something the media has overlooked,” he said.

He described the women as “not just survivors; they are heroines. They have not forgotten their daughters, but they’ve continued living, finding moments of joy, laughter, and purpose. 

“This film captures their full humanity – not just the sorrow –  but the strength, the courage, and the quiet moments of triumph. It’s time the world sees these women for who they truly are, not as victims, but as warriors of hope. This is a side to them that not very many are familiar with. And this is why I chose to make Mothers of Chibok – a film about women bravely holding onto hope in the face of adversity.”

‘Mothers of Chibok’ will embark on a home tour in Nigeria on a yet-to-be-disclosed date.