Mami Wata

In the framework of its partnership with the Ouaga Film Lab, Le Groupe Ouest hosted C.J. Obasi (Nigeria) in 2019 in LIM | Less is More programme .

Synopsis

In Iyi village, villagers worship the mermaid deity MAMI WATA and turn to their healer MAMA EFE, the intermediary between them and Mami Wata, as well as Mama Efe’s daughter, ZINWE, and her protégé, PRISCA. When their children begin to die and disappear, JABI, a local resident, casts doubt on the population, while Zinwe flees, driven by her own anguish. Soon, the arrival of a rebellious warlord, JASPER, tips the scales in Jabi’s favor, and with the village under new control, Prisca and Zinwe must plot to save their people and restore Mami Wata’s glory to Iyi.

C.J. Obasi during LIM’s first workshop of the year 2019, held in Poland | © Robert Słuszniak

Intentions

Mami Wata is a popular West African folk tale. When the figure of Mami Wata struck me, I saw a sublime image of the goddess on the ocean shores, standing in all her glory and beauty as she calls for her long lost child. I saw this image in deeply contrasted monochrome, and knew exactly the story I wanted to tell!

I wanted to tell the story of a beautiful village.

I wanted to talk about a powerful Goddess, who gifted her daughter to the people.

I wanted to talk about destiny and human strength.

I want to make a kickass fantasy film about African spirituality grounded in universal themes, exploring genre through an ancient belief system, as well as subverting genre through that same belief system. African cinema has come a long way but we need to take it to the next level; in some ways, maybe create a new cinema. I believe we must do this through genre. And Mami Wata for me epitomizes this need to see a new kind of African cinema.