Set in contemporary Lagos, Nigeria, twin filmmaking brothers Arie and Chuko Esiri’s Eyimofe (This Is My Desire) present the stories of two characters (told consecutively, but also concurrent—if only incidentally intersecting) who dream of leaving the country.
Shot in 16mm, the film opens with a shot of a faulty circuit board being fixed by engineer Mofe (Jude Akuwudike), whose pleas to a supervisor to replace the aged equipment in this printing factory are bureaucratically brushed off. A sign on the wall near the sparking wires reads “The best safety tool is a safe worker.” But safety is clearly not a big concern in this environment where everything seems to be broken and most human interactions are transactional. The frustrated Mofe has a reason to suffer patiently, however: he plans to emigrate to Spain, a quest that unfortunately runs into a number of snags as he tries to obtain a passport.
Navigating a system featuring equal parts red tape and corruption, Mofe is blindsided when his sister Precious and his young nephews die in their sleep, a tragedy apparently caused by fumes from a generator. Money for the passport was going to come from Precious, whose bank account is now locked, pending probate. Mofe visits his estranged father, who will contribute nothing for coffins or funeral services, but quickly steps up to contest Mofe’s claim to Precious’s money. It seems like it will only be a matter of time before Mofe himself will break.
When Mofe’s story is put on pause with a dissolve, the focus shifts to Rosa (Temi Ami-Williams), who is busy getting passports for herself and her pregnant teenage sister, Grace (Cynthia Ebijie), to go to Italy. Rosa works two jobs (in a hair salon and bar) to try to make ends meet but still seems to have a quid pro quo arrangement with her older landlord in cover the rent. To afford the move to Italy, Grace has agreed to sell her forthcoming baby to Mama Esther (Chioma “Chigul” Omeruah), an arrangement mixing the sadly practical with the bizarrely superstitious since it’s to be cemented with a ritual involving a pouch containing Grace’s pubic hair, blood, and passport picture. As with Mofe, an unanticipated event will submarine Rosa’s master plan.
Eyimofe is a character-based film and while it might sound as if it is all doom and gloom, there are moments of light and at least one of the characters will find some measure of peace in this city where brutal poverty adjoins upscale modernization but the brightest of colors clothe everyone.
Presented with a 2K digital transfer, extras include a new conversation between the directors and filmmaker Bette Gordon, an interview with producer Melissa O. Adeyemo, deleted scenes featuring audio commentary by the directors, three short films: Goose (2017), directed by Arie and Chuko Esiri; Besida (2018), directed by Chuko Esiri; and Because Men in Silk Shirts on Lagos Nights (2018), directed by Arie Esiri; and a leaflet with an essay by writer and filmmaker Maryam Kazeem.
An intimate drama capturing the rhythms and challenges of contemporary Nigerian life in the city is recommended.
Discover more titles with our list of drama movies.