Mami Wata (film)

{{Infobox film

| image = Mami Wata (film) poster.jpg

| alt =

| caption = US Promotional release poster

| director = C.J. "Fiery" Obasi

| producer = Oge Obasi

| writer = C. J. "Fiery" Obasi

| starring = Evelyne Ily Juhen
Uzoamaka Aniunoh
Kelechi Udegbe
Emeka Amakeze

| music = Tunde Jegede

| cinematography = Lílis Soares

| editing = Nathan Delannoy

| studio = {{Plainlist|

Fiery Film Company
Guguru Studios
Ifind Pictures
PalmWine Media

}}

| distributor = CAA Media Finance
alief SAS
Dekanalog
Aya Films
Trigon-film
Djeli Films

| released = {{film date|df=y|2023|1|23|Sundance}}

| runtime = 107 minutes

| country = {{Plainlist|

Nigeria
France
United Kingdom

}}

| language = {{Plainlist|

}}

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Mami Wata is a 2023 black-and-white fantasy thriller film written and directed by C.J. "Fiery" Obasi, based on West African folklore. It is a co-production between Nigeria, France and the United Kingdom.

The film premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, marking Obasi's third feature to screen at Sundance.{{Cite web|url=https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/638a1f6677dd3d8174806d1a|title=Mami Wata|website=2023 Sundance Film Festival|accessdate=22 January 2023}} In October 2023, it was selected as the Nigerian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards by The Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC).{{Cite web |last=The Scoove |first=Africa |date=October 16, 2023 |title=CJ Obasi's "Mami Wata" is Nigeria's Official Submission to the 96th Oscars |url=https://thescoove.africa/cj-obasi-mami-wata-movie-nigeria-submission-for-the-96th-oscars/ |access-date=October 16, 2023 |website=The Scoove Africa}} It was nominated in the Best International Film category of the 39th Independent Spirit Awards,{{Cite web|url= https://www.filmindependent.org/nominee/mami-wata/|title=Mami Wata|website=2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards|accessdate=5 December 2023}} and in the Outstanding International Motion Picture category of the 55th NAACP Image Awards.{{Cite web|url= https://naacp.org/articles/nominees-announced-55th-naacp-image-awards|title= Nominees Announced for the 55th NAACP Image Awards|website=NAACP Image Awards|accessdate=25 January 2024}}

Cast

Evelyne Ily Juhen as Prisca
Uzoamaka Aniunoh as Zinwe
Kelechi Udegbe as Jabi
Emeka Amakeze as Jasper
Rita Edochie as Mama Efe
Tough Bone as Ero
Jakob Kerstan as Johnny
C.J. Obasi as Doctor
Kelechi Udegbe as Jabi
Tim Ebuka as Moussa
Sofiath Sanni as Alima
David Avincin Oparaeke as Ajah
Hadiya Ibrahim as Oli
Joyce Tobi Lileru as Nurse
Monalisa Stephen as Binti

Production

Obasi first came up with and began developing Mami Wata in 2016. After writing a few drafts, he took part in a number of labs to help refine the script. In an interview with CNN, Obasi stated he "wanted to make a hyper-stylised film" with its style rooted in substance, taking inspiration from his favourite filmmakers such as Akira Kurosawa and David Lynch.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/style/article/mami-wata-film-cj-fiery-obasi-sundance-spc-intl/index.html|title=With Sundance winner 'Mami Wata,' CJ 'Fiery' Obasi is redefining what it means to be a Nigerian filmmaker|website=CNN Style|first=Thomas|last=Page|date=13 February 2023|accessdate=15 February 2023}} The characters Prisca and Zinwe were inspired by Obasi's late sisters. Production companies attached to Mami Wata include Obasi's Fiery Film Company, Guguru Studios, Palmwine Media, Swiss Fund Visions Sud Est and Ifind Pictures of France.{{Cite journal|url=https://www.screendaily.com/features/nigerias-cj-obasi-on-how-west-african-folklore-inspired-sundance-title-mami-wata/5178440.article|title=Nigeria's CJ Obasi on how West African folklore inspired Sundance title 'Mami Wata'|journal=Screen International|first=Wendy|last=Mitchell|date=24 January 2023|accessdate=20 February 2023}}

Principal photography took place on location in the rural villages of Benin and wrapped in January 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://afieryfilm.com/2021/07/20/mami-wata-goes-to-venice/|title=MAMI WATA goes to venice!|website=Fiery Film|date=20 July 2021|accessdate=20 February 2023}}

Reception

At the Sundance Film Festival, cinematographer Lílis Soares won the Special Jury Prize in the World Dramatic Competition for the film's cinematography.{{Cite journal|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/sundance-film-festival-winners-2023-1235504487/|title=Sundance Winners: 'A Thousand and One' Takes U.S. Dramatic Jury Prize (Complete List)|journal=Variety|first1=Matt|last1=Donnelly|first2=Peter|last2=Debruge|date=27 January 2023|accessdate=27 January 2023}} It also picked up three awards at FESPACO - Prix de la Critique Paulin S. Vieyra (African Critics Award), Meilleure Image (Cinematography Award) and Meilleur Décor (Set Design Award).{{Cite journal|url=https://guardian.ng/saturday-magazine/award-haul-for-c-j-obasis-mami-wata-at-fespaco/|title=Award Haul for C.J Obasi's Mami Wata At FESPACO|journal=The Guardian Nigeria|first1=Shaibu|last1=Husseini|date=11 March 2023|accessdate=11 March 2023}} It was acquired by Dekanalog for North American distribution.{{Cite journal|url= https://deadline.com/2023/05/mami-wata-dekanalog-us-deal-sundance-1235371474/|title= 'Mami Wata:' West African Folktale Lands U.S. Deal Following Sundance Debut|journal=Deadline|first1=Zack|last1=Ntim|date=18 May 2023|accessdate=18 May 2023}}

= Critical response =

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 97% approval rating based on 38 reviews, with a critics consensus that "Visually stunning and narratively stirring, Mami Wata uses its monochromatic palette to reveal a captivating, dreamlike world.".{{Citation|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mami_wata|title=Mami Wata|journal=Rotten Tomatoes|first1=|last1=|date=|accessdate=27 October 2023}}

The Hollywood Reporter describes it as, "A vivid narrative and a dynamic study in color."{{Citation|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/mami-wata-nigerian-feature-sundance-1235295421|title='Mami Wata' Review: A Nigerian Allegory's Energizing Experiments in Black and White|journal=The Hollywood Reporter|first1=Lovia|last1=Gyarkye|date=31 January 2023|accessdate=31 January 2023}}IndieWire said: "The extra time spent developing the film pays off on screen: From its opening title design to the last notes of Tunde Jegede’s score, Mami Wata is a work of art."{{Citation|url=https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/mami-wata-review-1234803636|title='Mami Wata' Review: Cinematography Is the Star in Mesmerizing West African Folk Tale|journal=IndieWire|first1=Katie|last1=Rife|date=25 January 2023|accessdate=25 January 2023}} The Los Angeles Times said: "That balance between light and dark is how Obasi most potently underscores all his themes: faith and proof, tradition versus modernity, the otherworldly alongside the human, and of course, Mami Wata{{'}}s power to give and take."{{Citation|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-10-06/mami-wata-review-c-j-fiery-obasi-lilis-soares-sundance|title='Review: 'Mami Wata' serves up a gorgeously rendered West African fable, tinged with mysticism|journal=Los Angeles Times|first1=Robert|last1=Abele|date=6 October 2023|accessdate=6 October 2023}}The Wall Street Journal said: "Mr. Obasi's script elevates folklore by subtly infusing it with political implications and a sardonic outlook on feminine vs. masculine power."{{Citation|url=https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/film/mami-wata-review-a-west-african-struggle-for-supremacy-7eb50209|title='Mami Wata' Review: A West African Struggle for Supremacy|journal=The Wall Street Journal|first1=Kyle|last1=Smith|date=28 September 2023|accessdate=28 September 2023}} The New York Times Critic's Pick review said: "In Mami Wata, the archetypes are familiar, but they work to make this Nigerian film a distinctly economical masterpiece."{{Citation|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/28/movies/mami-wata-review-obasi.html|title='Mami Wata' Review: An Old God Flickers Out in a New Era|journal=The New York Times|first1=Brandon|last1=Yu|date=28 September 2023|accessdate=28 September 2023}} Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com in his review, gave it a four-star rating (the highest) saying: "The film casts a spell, and the spell persists to the end."{{Citation|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mami-wata-movie-review-2023|title=Mami Wata|website=RogerEbert.com|first1=Matt Zoller|last1=Seitz|date=29 September 2023|accessdate=29 September 2023}} Filmmaker Sean Baker named it one of his favorite films of 2023.{{cite web |date=December 31, 2023 |title=38 Directors Pick Their Favorite Films of 2023 |url=https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/directors-best-movies-tv-2023|website=IndieWire}}