MAMI WATA
Nigeria, France, United Kingdom • 2023
In the oceanside village of Iyi, the revered Mama Efe (Rita Edochie) acts as an intermediary between the people and the all-powerful water deity Mami Wata. But when a young boy is lost to a virus, Efe’s devoted daughter Zinwe (Uzoamaka Aniunoh) and skeptical protégé Prisca (Evelyne Ily Juhen) warn Efe about unrest among the villagers. With the sudden arrival of a mysterious rebel deserter named Jasper (Emeka Amakeze), a conflict erupts, leading to a violent clash of ideologies and a crisis of faith for the people of Iyi.
C.J. “Fiery” Obasi’s potent modern fable deploys vivid monochromatic black-and-white cinematography, rich sound design, and a hypnotic score in a folk-futurist style both earthy and otherworldly. Obasi depicts a pitched battle between opportunistic militants promising technological progress and a matriarchal spiritual order living in fragile harmony with the ocean. Mami Wata transports us to a place that seems both suspended in time and perhaps running out of time, as the threats of modern life wash up on its shores.
Synopsis courtesy of the Sundance Film Festival
Nigerian submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, 2024
Director & writer
Starring
C.J. 'Fiery' Obasi
Rita Edochie, Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Evelyne Ily Juhen, Emeka Amakeze
107 minutes
West African Pidgin
English
B&W
1.78:1
5.1
Runtime
Language
Subtitles
Color
Format
Sound
BLU-RAY
DETAILS
Region A Blu-ray
Commentary with Writer / Director C.J. 'Fiery' Obasi
Defying Genre: C.J. 'Fiery' Obasi on Mami Wata
Making Mami Wata
Mami Wata Scoring Sessions
Outtake
Deleted Scenes
Theatrical Trailer
Director's Statement
Booklet Essay
English & French subtitles
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