Writer and director C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi’s film Mami Wata features stunning black and white cinematography by Lílis Soares. From the opening image of waves crashing on a beach at night, it’s clear that the film’s look would be stunning. It never wavers in that regard, where it would be effortless to pause any moment of the film and print out a gorgeous poster. The film’s story is an interesting one that gets dragged down a bit by the plot structure and longevity. What lifts it back up is the lead performances, paired with that gorgeous cinematography.
The film cuts to title cards with text frequently, and these cards apparently outline West African Folklore that appears to be the essence of the story being told. The village’s spiritual leader, Mama Efe (Rita Edochie), is losing her status among the villagers, as her old ways are being questioned. With the harmony of the village slowly being threatened by outside elements, two sisters and daughters of Mama Efe, Zinwe (Uzoamaka Aniunoh) and Prisca (Evelyne Ily Juhen), must fight to save their people and restore the glory of a mermaid goddess to the land.
Aniunoh and Juhen both possess strong screen presences and capably carry the film overall. Aniunoh has hypnotic eyes that defy the black-and-white look of the film. Her wide-eyed gaze conveys so much information about her character and the internal struggle she is going through. Juhen’s character becomes the focal point of the story for a long stretch, and she is certainly up to the challenge. An early scene where she is at a bar pondering things about beliefs that emphasizes the film’s themes showcases her talent early on. It’s easy to root for Prisca, in large part to Juhen’s performance.
The lack of context of those title cards is part of the story’s issue. It cuts back and forth a bit too frequently, and it doesn’t always seem relevant to what is happening on screen. It’s not too distracting, but it could have been given more context to add to the story, rather than detract from it. There aren’t many scenes that feel like they should have been cut, but they also don’t all feel essential. For example, there is an important sequence where Prisca is connecting with Jasper (Emeka Amakeze) on the beach. The film cuts to a wide shot of them standing close to the ocean behind them, and then to a close-up of them sitting. It then cuts back to them standing and back to them sitting. It’s very jarring, and the discontinuity of placement doesn’t make sense in the storytelling. Little things like this are what hold the film back.
Despite the little problems that Mami Wata has, it is overall successful. There is no denying the cinematography in the film, and overall, the story is compelling. There are not a lot of West African films making their way in front of my eyes often enough, so that fact alone makes this a standout. I have always viewed movies as a window to a world I may not know otherwise, and this is a prime example of what that sentiment means.
Mami Wata is playing at The Fantasia International Film Festival on July 20 and 21.
Rating: Decent Watch
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