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Mami Wata

Submissions for Best International Feature (Academy Awards 2024)

2023

Evelyne Ily Juhen, Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Emeka Amakeze, Rita Edochie ...

Drama. Fantasy. Mystery When the harmony in a village is threatened by outside elements, two sisters must fight to save their people and restore the glory of a mermaid goddess to the land.

	Media	Author	Review
		Jacob Oller Paste Magazine	"A mesmerizing African dreamscape (...) the atmosphere Obasi conjures is uniquely, empoweringly transportative—and one you’ll want to revisit over and over again"
		Lovia Gyarkye The Hollywood Reporter	"A propulsive narrative of village change"
		Marya E. Gates rogerebert.com	"Through the use of a fable structure, Obasi deftly weaves heavy political, philosophical, and theological ideas together with his keen eye for striking imagery to craft a film that feels both classical and futuristic"
		Katie Rife IndieWire	"Poetic stunner (...) From its opening title design to the last notes of Tunde Jegede’s score, 'Mami Wata' is a work of art"
		Christopher Vourlias Variety	"Perhaps more importantly, Obasi and his colleagues are helping to redefine Nigerian — and African — cinema on the global stage"
		Mel Valentin Screen Anarchy	"A story that, minus one or two missteps (...) signals the arrival of a talented, skilled filmmaker"
		Amber Wilkinson Screendaily	"Obasi teases at ideas surrounding the balance of power and the desire to control it"
		Matt Zoller Seitz rogerebert.com	"The film casts a spell, and the spell persists to the end (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"
		Murtada Elfadl Variety	"[It] weaves bewitching fable with haunting images (...) C.J. 'Fiery' Obasi and cinematographer Lílis Soares use image and lighting to enthralling effect"
		Josh Kupecki Austin Chronicle	"A marvel to behold and Obasi throws in enough curveballs to this familiar story to keep you off-kilter (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)"
		Kyle Smith The Wall Street Journal	"Cinema's power to transport is vividly on display in [this] eerie but beautiful visit to a rich and unfamiliar setting"
		Brandon Yu The New York Times	"Manages to distill themes that are at once primal and complex with virtuosic simplicity via the film's arresting score, its refined story and dialogue and its black and white cinematography"
		Robert Abele Los Angeles Times	"A gorgeously rendered West African fable, tinged with mysticism"
		Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"This visually beautiful and charismatically acted film is a fierce expressionist reverie or parable of power, shot in a lustrous, high-contrast black-and-white by cinematographer Lílis Soares (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"

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