The main reason I chose this movie was not so much for the story, but because it was filmed in Lagos, Nigeria.
However, the story itself turned out to be quite pulsating – following a group of women doing what they must to survive in a chaotic landscape, and one young woman in particular whose dream is to escape to a place that offers more freedom, away from the noise, business, and relentless traffic.
Directed by Olive Nwosu, Lady is a vibrant feature debut that follows Ujah (Jessica Gabriel), a struggling female taxi driver in Lagos. She takes on a side job chauffeuring a group of sex workers, including her estranged childhood best friend who returns after a five-year absence – through the city’s nocturnal underworld.
This movie grabbed my attention because my late husband spent years, off and on, travelling to Lagos to do telecommunications feasibility for cell phone systems. No matter where you go in the world, rich or poor, everyone now has a cell phone. It’s the one common denominator for all of us.
Overall, I found the story frustrating and heartbreaking. The hardships some of these women face just to make ends meet are daunting, to say the least, but I deeply admired the lead character’s dignity and sense of self. The film leaves you restless, heartbroken, and intensely aware of the vast miles between comfortable detachment and daily survival.
My husband always talked about Lagos as a city of endless static and relentless momentum – a place that moves too fast to look back. Olive Nwosu’s camera manages to slow it down just enough to see the human beings caught in the current. I left the theater wishing life were kinder to Ujah and her friends, deeply grateful that a film had given a vivid voice to a landscape I only ever knew through secondhand stories.
Lady isn’t an easy ride, but like the brave women in the front seat, it refuses to be looked past.
For more VIFF please visit:
You must be logged in to post a comment.