Eyimofe: Nigerian stories at the Berlinale
Published on
Migration or staying at home? This is the question posed by two young Nigerians in the movie Eyimofe that just celebrated its world premiere in Berlin. The two-hour film was directed by Arie and Chuko Esiri, who returned to Nigeria from Europe especially for shooting the film.
Mofe is a technician in a factory. Rosa is a hairdresser. Their everyday lives and their obligations are radically different, and yet, both of these Nigerians have something in common - they want to leave their home in Lagos. The film follows the story of these two Nigerians who dream of escaping their hardships and migrating to Europe.
Mofe has to support himself with a second job besides his work in electronics. Working as a security guard for a gated community robs him of any sleep at night. Mofe is exhausted and depressed while he waits for a visa for Spain. Rosa, who is much younger, is waiting at the same time for her trip to Italy. A family drama suddenly halts Mofe’s plan to leave. In a turn of events, Rosa's path also ends where it began: in Lagos.
Soon, they two start to question their initial dream. They are no longer aiming for what they thought was a safe departure into another world. They come to terms with their surroundings, in Lagos. Furthermore, they see new obligations in their familiar surroundings.
We met Arie and Chuko Esiri, the directors of Eyimofe, and discussed their debut movie.