Mami Wata

C.J. Obasi's 2023 Nigerian film is set in the coastal village of Iyi. Mama Efe is revered as the intermediary between the village and the water deity; the death of a child from illness shakes the trust placed in that belief. The film does not build the conflict between belief and modernisation as a simple opposition. A stranger arriving in the village proposes changing the order, and the narrative asks whom that would serve; the argument over succession among the women is at the centre. It was shot in black and white and the cinematography became its most discussed element, with the face paint, the sea and the night scenes built on contrast. The cast is largely West African. Who it's for: those who like African cinema and formalist narrative. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a fast plot; the film moves slowly and the violence enters abruptly.