There is no colour in the film. Mami Wata, a Nigerian story about a coastal village, its water goddess and the women who serve her, is shot in stark black and white. That choice helped it make history. At the Sundance Film Festival in January 2023, the film’s Brazilian cinematographer, Lílis Soares, won a Special Jury Award for cinematography in the World Cinema Dramatic competition.
C.J. Obasi
The film was written and directed by C.J. Obasi, known as “Fiery”, a Nigerian filmmaker associated with bold genre films. Mami Wata was his third feature. He has spoken about wanting to tell African stories rooted in mythology without filtering them through Western expectations.
The legend
Mami Wata is a water spirit found in folklore across West and Central Africa and the African diaspora, often depicted as a mermaid or a woman with snakes. She is associated with wealth, beauty, danger and healing.
The story
The film is set in the village of Iyi, where Mama Efe is the intermediary between the people and Mami Wata. When the village faces crisis and doubts grow about the goddess’s power, Mama Efe’s daughter Zinwe and her protégée Prisca must decide how to protect their community and their faith.
The cast
Uzoamaka Aniunoh plays Zinwe, and Evelyne Ily Juhen plays Prisca. Rita Edochie plays Mama Efe. The performances are restrained, matching the film’s dreamlike pace.
The look
Soares used high-contrast black and white to give the film a timeless quality. Faces painted with white patterns stand out against dark skin and shadows, and the sea becomes almost abstract. Critics compared the film’s images to classic world cinema.
A first for Nigeria
The award was described as the first competition prize at Sundance for a home-grown Nigerian film. It was a sign that Nigerian cinema could compete at the highest level of independent film.
Release
After Sundance, the film screened at other festivals and received a theatrical release in several countries, including the United States, introducing audiences to a very different side of Nigerian filmmaking from the popular Nollywood dramas.
Myth and modernity
The film is about faith under pressure. As young people in Iyi question the old ways and outsiders arrive with guns and new ideas, the village must choose between tradition and change. Obasi does not give easy answers, treating both belief and doubt with seriousness.
Most Nigerian films reach audiences through streaming and cinemas at home. Mami Wata took another route, through the world’s biggest independent film festival, and made people look at West African folklore in black and white.
