Mami wata

This year's festival opens with MAMI WATA. The inhabitants of Iyi, a small village in the Gulf of Guinea, are cut off from the outside world and deeply rooted in their own culture. They worship the mermaid goddess Mami Wata and seek advice from her intermediary on earth Mama Efe. When doubts arise about the latter's powers after a series of mysterious incidents, her daughters Prisca and Zinwe have to fight to keep the community together. Shot in black and white, this visually compelling futurist allegory by Nigerian director C. J. 'Fiery' Obasi premiered at this year's Sundance Festival. (fw)