The primary two initiatives, 'Her Excellent Life,' and 'Iyawo Mi,' take a look at "psychological well being points from a Nigerian perspective."
Mo Abudu, the Nigerian media mogul behind EbonyLife Media, has launched a brand new label, Mo Abudu Movies, that goals to broaden the spectrum of Nigerian cinema by making extra “private and intimate” movies that champion “the voices and views of underrepresented communities.”
The label will even function a car for Abudu’s directorial ambitions. The prolific producer of such Nigerian field workplace hits as Fifty and The Wedding ceremony Celebration in addition to TV sequence together with Netflix’s Blood Sisters has helmed two quick movies, Her Excellent Life and Iyawo Mi (My Spouse), that can mark the primary titles on the Mo Abudu Movies slate.
Each initiatives tackle psychological well being points, a taboo topic in Nigeria and all through a lot of Africa. Her Excellent Life follows Onajite Johnson Ibrahim (Pearl Thusi), a 30-something lady who seems, on Instagram, to have the perfect life — a flourishing profession, a loving husband (Ahmed Ibrahim) and two shiny and delightful kids — however is secretly affected by despair and considering suicide.
Iyawo Mi seems at psychological well being amongst Nigeria’s poorest, in a narrative of a Kunle (Lateef Adedimeji), a younger married man whose spouse Eniola (Bolaji Ogunmola) has had a psychological breakdown and has begun to hallucinate, screaming at their kids and neighbors and threatening to kill everybody round her. Kunle tries to take issues into his personal arms, with tragic penalties.
“We imagine that via our work, we are able to ignite conversations and spark constructive change,” says Abudu, sharing a mission assertion for the brand new cinema label, “whereas paving the best way for a extra inclusive and equitable world.”
Iyawo Mi and Her Excellent Life will display within the Cannes Quick Movie Nook, an trade part of the Cannes pageant meant to spotlight new directing expertise, later this month. Each have additionally been invited to the Martha’s Winery African American Movie Competition, which runs August 4-12.