A young woman leaves her village in Nigeria and flies to Los Angeles. Her sister, who left years earlier to pursue a music career, has been arrested and charged with killing her husband. As the case unfolds, secrets about the sister’s life in America come to light. Ijé: The Journey, released in 2010, brought together two of Nollywood’s biggest stars, Genevieve Nnaji and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, in a story about family, migration and justice.
The director, stars and America
Chineze Anyaene, a young Nigerian filmmaker who studied in the United States, wrote and directed the film. It was her first feature. Genevieve Nnaji plays Chioma, the sister who travels to America. Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde plays Anya, the sister on trial. Having both stars in one film drew huge interest. Much of the film was shot in the United States, with a cast that included American actors. This gave it a different look from most Nollywood films of the time.
The story and box office
The film deals with the difficulties faced by African immigrants, from isolation to abuse. As Chioma works with a lawyer to defend her sister, the truth about Anya’s marriage emerges. Ijé performed strongly in Nigerian cinemas, becoming one of the highest-grossing Nollywood films of its time. The film won several awards at African film ceremonies and screened at international festivals.
Like The Figurine, Ijé was part of a wave of higher-budget Nigerian films aimed at cinemas and international audiences. The film spoke to Nigerians abroad, many of whom recognised the pressures faced by its characters. Genevieve Nnaji later directed Lionheart, while Omotola continued acting and became a television personality and activist.
A courtroom drama and sisterhood
Much of the film’s second half plays out around the legal case. Scenes with lawyers, police and jail visits gave Nollywood audiences a type of story they usually saw only in American films. At its heart, Ijé is about two sisters who have grown apart. Chioma’s determination to save Anya, even as she learns painful truths, gives the film its emotional weight and keeps viewers invested until the verdict.
Ijé gave Nollywood’s two biggest stars of the 2000s a story set far from Lagos. The film’s success suggested that Nigerian audiences would follow their favourite actors wherever they went.
