Premiere Run!

Co-presented with Roxfilm

A triumph at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival, the revelatory 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 16mm film and infused with the spirit of neorealism, EYIMOFE traces the journeys of two distantly connected strangers – Mofe (Akuwudike), an electrician dealing with the fallout of a family tragedy, and Rosa (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.

Delivers a timeless, universal portrait of human resilience while establishing Arie and Chuko as a welcome new addition to the filmmaking brood.” – Michael Rechtshaffen, Los Angeles Times

“The portrait of life that emerges organically from this understated, observant approach makes “Eyimofe” the rare social realist drama that conveys critique without didacticism and empathy without pity.” – Devika Girish, New York Times

“Every frame feels like the film distilled to its essence.” – Manuel Betancourt, Variety