Entertainment & Lifestyle
Award-Winning Movie Eyimofe Returns To Nigeria After Successful Run At Worldโs Top Film Festivals
Acclaimed Nigerian film to premiere in Lagos on Sunday, April 18
March 30, 2021 โ GDN Studios, part of The Guardian Group, has announced the premiere and cinema release of its debut film Eyimofe (This is My Desire), following an extensive tour of the global film festival circuit. The movie will have its Nigerian premiere on Sunday, April 18, just days before opening in cinemas on Friday, April 23.
Eyimofe has been praised by international audiences, festival directors, critics and industry media as an outstanding effort by Arie and Chuko Esiri, brothers and co-directors of their first feature film. The movie takes an unflinching look at the pressures of everyday life in Nigeria, the desperate measures people take to survive, and the unrelenting desire to escape to a better life abroad, by whatever means. It traces the parallel lives of Mofe, a stoic electrician and part-time security guard, and Rosa, a struggling hairdresser, both trying to navigate illegal ways of fleeing the country.
Eyimofe has represented Nigeria globally, having been selected for festivals in twenty countries to date. These include the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival 2020, where it had its World Premiere; the British Film Instituteโs London Film Festival; and the American Film Institute (AFI) Film Festival. It has garnered several festival awards including โWinner, Best Fiction, New Filmmakersโ at the Sรฃo Paulo International Film Festival (Brazil), and โWinner, Achille Valdata Awardโ at the Torino Film Festival (Italy).
According to executive producer Toke Alex Ibru, the film has exceeded expectations. โWeโve been encouraged by the tremendous reception the film has received in London, Berlin, Sรฃo Paolo (Brazil), Los Angeles and other cities. Itโs really exciting to bring Eyimofe home to Nigeria and see how audiences react to seeing our lives portrayed onscreen in such a realistic way.โ
Co-directors Arie & Chuko issued a statement to mark the filmโs release. โEyimofe is very special to both of us โ not just because itโs our first full-length feature, but due to the amazing support we have received from the cast, crew, and a host of backers. Weโre grateful to GDN Studios for allowing us to tell this touching story without compromising on production values and for helping to give the film the global exposure it has received. Audiences abroad have taken this movie to their hearts and we look forward to having Nigerians embrace it, even as they discuss some of the issues it raises about the human condition.โ
Some of the film industryโs leading international publications have been very positive about Eyimofe. Variety (USA) said that the film is โa clear-eyed portrait of a vibrant informed by two talented native sonsโ; the British Film Instituteโs Sight & Sound called it a โstunning feature debutโ and Frieze (UK) suggested it was โan outstanding story of interwoven talesโ. The Hollywood Reporter said it was โcarefully observed and well-performed dramaโฆ a love-hate letter to a great and flawed city, from two talented young filmmakersโ.
The premiere of Eyimofe โ This is My Desire takes place on Sunday, April 18, at EbonyLife Place in Victoria Island, Lagos, and opens in cinemas on Friday, April 23 in selected cinemas across Nigeria.