‘Mami Wata’ Movie Review [Fantasia 2023]: West African Folklore Visually Pops
Photo from Fantasia International Film Festival
From Jeff Nelson
C.J. “Fiery” Obasi’s Mami Wata weaves West African folklore with socially and technologically modern advancements. It made quite the splash with its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival before making its way to 2023 Fantasia, where its fantastical drama fits right in.
An isolated village named Iyi believes in the powers and protection of Mami Wata, an ocean deity. Mama Efe (Rita Edochie) is the medium who coordinates the community’s offerings to ensure a healthy harvest and good health, but she realizes that her duties are coming to an end. Therefore, her daughter, Zinwe (Uzoamaka Aniunoh), and Prisca (Evelyne Ily Juhen), must continue her work, although they don’t possess the same level of faith in Mami Wata’s powers to protect the village, as the death of a child under Mama Efe’s watch plants a seed of doubt in the deity’s powers and existence.
Obasi’s screenplay pops with its ability to walk the fine line between the fantastical folklore elements and the grounded emotional stakes that push these compelling characters forward. The question of faith remains at the core of Mami Wata, although it wisely extends beyond a religious lens. Zinwe and Prisca’s faith in tradition, the community they believe to know, and even in themselves are all tested to the limit, creating an engaging identity crisis narrative.
Mami Wata submerges you in its setting and culture, causing Iyi’s sudden disruption to feel substantial. There are a few pacing lulls scattered through the film that could use some tighter editing, but Obasi’s story remains captivating through its runtime. There’s a hypnotizing quality to the narrative that makes it easy to sink deeper into its grasp. However, the third act pursue an action-oriented climax that tonally clashes with what came before it.
Obasi’s stunning eye for visual storytelling allows his more ambiguous plot beats to shine. Lílis Soares’ extraordinary cinematography creates incredible contrast with black-and-white imagery that immaculately brings this world’s characters to life in a way that captures the supposedly binary belief system between faith and technology.
Mami Wata is a mesmerizing tale that takes your hand and slowly guides you into the depths of its beautifully dreamlike embrace. Obasi is an exciting voice on the film festival market, demonstrating in this fantastical drama why he’s deserving of the hype.
Rating: 3.5/5
Mami Wata played at Fantasia 2023 on July 20th, 2023.
