Fantasia International Film Festival 2023 – Mami Wata is one of the most poetic, visually striking films to release this year, an engrossing African folktale about a mermaid goddess who protects a Nigerian village. It’s also a film about faith versus doubt with high stakes for a community trying to maintain its traditions against the threat of non-believers. Like the ocean’s tide, this black and white feature will pull you into its world.

Directed and written by C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi, the feature has a few layers to unpack. There’s the immense bond between sisters Zinwe (Uzoamaka Aniunoh) and Prisca (Evelyne Ily Juhen). Their mother, Mama Efe (Rita Edochie), acts as the intermediary and truly believes the village’s fortunes depend solely upon their faith and trust in the mermaid deity. However, the village’s children start dying, and Mama Efe fails to save them. Young hothead Jabi (Kelechi Udegbe) encourages others to take up arms against Mama Efe and dispose of her rule. They’re eventually joined by hardened warlord Jasper (Emeka Amakeze). This sets the daughters against the brute young men who overtake the village, promising schools, roads, and electricity, while pocketing money to buy guns and abusing the villagers.

The film’s exploration of faith and doubt is a real highpoint, and it’s handled deftly. Mama Efe symbolizes the old ways and even turns down vaccines at one point. You can understand Jabi’s frustration as more children die, though the militant and violent path he takes, once he joins with Jasper, certainly isn’t justifiable. He also betrays the other villagers by failing to follow through on the promises to build roads and schools. There’s a constant push and pull between the belief in the old ways and the yearning by others for “progress,” though progress is largely defined in western terms. Watching Zinwe and Prisca transform into fierce warriors makes for engrossing character evolution, though the chain of events that lead to that are pretty devastating to watch.

If the film has one flaw, it’s that the narrative takes a bit to get going. There’s a lot of ground to cover regarding the folklore and character establishment. Jabi and Jasper’s rebellion doesn’t even occur until about the halfway point. This movie does require patience. Still, for as slow as the pacing feels at time, the visuals are jaw-dropping. Simply put, this is an utterly gorgeous film. The costumes are stunning too, and the black and white makes for a breathtaking contrast. The music adds to the film’s overall layered beauty and textures. This really should be seen on a big screen so audiences can fully absorb this experience.

Overall, Mami Wata is a riveting folktale. it dazzles and delights with its gorgeous costumes, sound, and impeccable visuals. Its two female protagonists, Zinwe and Prisca, have a well-written story that gives this film depth beyond its images. While the Nigerian feature’s pacing feels a little sluggish at times, there’s plenty here worth celebrating. Feast your eyes on Mami Wata and let the mermaid deity guide you through her world.

7.5 Out of 10