MAMI WATA (HARDCODED)

There’s unrest In the oceanside village of Iyi, where the people are losing faith in the revered Mama Efe (Rita Edochie), who acts as an intermediary for the all-powerful water deity Mami Wata. When a mysterious rebel deserter arrives, conflict brews, and then erupts, leaving Efe’s daughter Zinwe (Uzoamaka Aniunoh) and cynical protégé Prisca (Evelyne Ily Juhen) to restore the faith. Based on a Nigerian folktale, director C.J. “Fiery” Obasi’s film benefits immensely from the glorious B&W cinematography of Lilis Soares; her work earned a special prize at this year’s Sundance, and contains some of the most striking imagery on display at VTIFF this year. This story of opportunistic men using violence to overthrow a matriarchy in harmony with nature also boasts a whopper of a surprise ending. ~SM