Eyimofe (This Is My Desire) (2020)
★★★ — Eyimofe (This Is My Desire) (2020)
Eyimofe (meaning "This Is My Desire" in Yoruba) was the debut feature from brothers Arie and Chuko Esiri, shot entirely on location in Lagos and released in 2020. Made independently outside the mainstream Nollywood commercial machine, the film was produced on a modest budget through a small consortium of Nigerian and diaspora-connected production companies, and shot on 16mm film, a deliberate aesthetic choice that gives it a grainy, lived-in texture quite distinct from the glossy digital look typical of contemporary Nigerian cinema. The Esiri brothers had worked in the industry in various capacities before turning to directing, and Eyimofe arrived during a period of growing international interest in a new wave of thoughtful, festival-oriented African filmmaking, going on to screen at the Berlin International Film Festival where it won the FIPRESCI Prize in the Encounters section.
A-Z World Movie Tour Nigeria Eyimofe stands apart from much of mainstream Nollywood, trading the usual melodrama and rushed storytelling for a quieter, more patient approach, though traces of that familiar Nollywood sensibility still peek through. The film follows two separate lives in Lagos (a hairdresser and an electrician) both dreaming of a better future abroad, each grappling with loss, faith, and the weight of economic hardship. There’s a rawness to their struggles, and the directors, Arie and Chuko Esiri, ground the story in the textures of everyday life: peeling walls, buzzing generators, the hum of street vendors. The cinematography is striking. Natural light, long takes, and a muted palette that gives the film a documentary-like realism. It’s clearly made with artistic ambition, aiming for something more contemplative and socially aware than most Nigerian films I've seen. The performances are understated and sincere, especially in moments of quiet despair, and the dual narrative structure slowly builds a picture of a city where hope is both essential and fragile. That said, the pacing is slow, at times too slow, with scenes lingering beyond their emotional payoff. And while it avoids the over-the-top theatrics of traditional Nollywood, it occasionally slips into familiar melodrama, undercutting its own realism. The final act, in particular, leans heavily on coincidence and moral lessons that feel a little too neat. Still, Eyimofe is a significant step forward for Nigerian cinema, ambitious, beautifully shot, and unafraid to ask difficult questions. It may not fully escape the genre’s tendencies, but it pushes beyond them more often than not. A quiet, thoughtful film, even if it doesn’t always trust the audience to keep up.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 2020 | Watched: 2025-08-01
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Amazon Prime Video · Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Physical: Amazon UK
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