Mami Wata

Description

Imagine a remote (and incredibly stylish) coastal village called Iyi. The villagers worship a water deity — Mami Wata. Their local priestess — Mama Efe — is both healer and mayor: she cures people with prayers and settles disputes.

But an unfortunate turn of events disrupts the balance in this utopia:
Crisis of Faith: A child dies in the village, and people start whispering: “Maybe Mama Efe’s prayers don’t work anymore. Maybe Mami Wata abandoned us?” or “Maybe it’s time to build a proper hospital instead of praying to the ocean.”

Arrival of a Stranger: A shady character named Jabi washes ashore. He’s a deserter with a gun and quickly realizes he can exploit the locals’ fear and doubt — essentially staging a military coup.

The familiar world crumbles under the pressure of progress, which often arrives with a rifle in hand.

Mama Efe has two daughters — Zinwe and Prudence. They couldn’t be more different: one is a devoted follower of her mother, the other more grounded. They must unite to overthrow the self-proclaimed dictator and decide their people’s future — continue believing in myths or embrace the new world.

The film is shot in folk-futurism style: an ancient legend in a remote village, yet everything looks like it’s set in a parallel, ultra-stylish reality.
Like a living black-and-white art-fantasy photoshoot of Mami Wata.
In my opinion, it also carries a retro aesthetic of the 60s: chamber interiors, cinematography. But there’s also shaky cam — something 60s filmmakers would never allow themselves.

P.S.
African folk-futurism — something similar we saw in Black Panther.
By the way, I really love that film. One of the best from Marvel, alongside Captain America, Iron Man 3, and Thor: Ragnarok.