The Nigerian film industry continues to grow in influence, delivering compelling storytelling that tackles critical social issues affecting Africans, particularly women.
Motivated by a desire to raise awareness about female genital mutilation (FGM), actor-turned-filmmaker April Chidinma Obichie has made her directorial debut with the short film PREYE.
The project was inspired in part by the experience of a loved one who is a survivor of FGM.
In PREYE, April Chidinma takes on the lead role of a woman grappling with the long-term effects of female genital mutilation. Her husband, Jaja, is portrayed by Nollywood actor Kelechi Udegbe, with Tony Goodman also featuring in the cast.
The film centers on Preye’s troubled marriage, which teeters on the brink of collapse due to her inability to experience sexual arousal or satisfaction, an emotional and physical aftermath of FGM. Struggling with frustration and confusion, her husband becomes desperate for answers and urges her to consult a physician.
What should have been a routine visit turns into a life-altering revelation that made her subjected to female genital mutilation as a child, a fact buried deep on her past.
The emotive and thought provoking film, a three-man cast was screened at Toronto Film Festival and it helped in driving home the message. The film director and actor who had acted in other flicks like Merry Men 3, 13 Letters and Night of June 7 to name a few says, “For me, having my film screened at the Toronto International Film Festival is one of those moments.
TINFF has long represented something almost mythical to me, it is a kind of cultural electricity that every filmmaker dreams of being part, Now my first film will play there.
This isn’t just a personal victory It’s a quiet nod to all the long nights spent doubting whether this story mattered, all the efforts,tears and sweat I , mama Chole and every single cast and crew member put in. It is a quite nod of YES we did it. This moment won’t last forever but the gratitude I feel will last forever. I am honored beyond words to be a part of it.”
She noted that PREYE is raw,original and above all this film not only raises awareness but also encourages survivors of FGM to seek healing and compels societies to rethink harmful traditions.
