Eyimofe (This Is My Desire)
Eyimofe
Nigeria • 2020
Directors
#1121Criterion Collection →Synopsis
This revelatory, award-winning debut feature from codirectors (and twin brothers) Arie and Chuko Esiri is a heartrending and hopeful portrait of everyday human endurance in Lagos, Nigeria. Shot on richly textured 16 mm film and infused with the spirit of neorealism, EYIMOFE (THIS IS MY DESIRE) traces the journeys of two distantly connected strangers—Mofe (Jude Akuwudike), an electrician dealing with the fallout of a family tragedy, and Rosa (Temi Ami-Williams), a hairdresser supporting her pregnant teenage sister—as they each pursue their dream of starting a new life in Europe while bumping up against the harsh economic realities of a world in which every interaction is a transaction. From these intimate stories emerges a vivid snapshot of life in contemporary Lagos, whose social fabric is captured in all its vibrancy and complexity.
Synopsis
This revelatory, award-winning debut feature from codirectors (and twin brothers) Arie and Chuko Esiri is a heartrending and hopeful portrait of everyday human endurance in Lagos, Nigeria. Shot on richly textured 16 mm film and infused with the spirit of neorealism, EYIMOFE (THIS IS MY DESIRE) traces the journeys of two distantly connected strangers—Mofe (Jude Akuwudike), an electrician dealing with the fallout of a family tragedy, and Rosa (Temi Ami-Williams), a hairdresser supporting her pregnant teenage sister—as they each pursue their dream of starting a new life in Europe while bumping up against the harsh economic realities of a world in which every interaction is a transaction. From these intimate stories emerges a vivid snapshot of life in contemporary Lagos, whose social fabric is captured in all its vibrancy and complexity.
Criterion Closet Pick
(1)
Credits
Crew
DirectorArie Esiri and Chuko Esiri, Chuko Esiri, Arie Esiri
WriterChuko Esiri
CinematographerArseni Khachaturan
ComposerAkin Adebowale
EditorAndrew Stephen Lee
ProducerMelissa O. Adeyemo, Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri
Cast
Jude Akuwudikeas Mofe
Temi Ami-Williamsas Rosa