One of the most visually ravishing movies I saw at Sundance Film Festival early this year was C.J. “Fiery” Obasi’s Mami Wata, “A West Afrikan Folklore,” as our exclusive debut of the alternate poster notes. The black-and-white Nigerian feature brings a folk-futurist style to the tale of a battle between opportunistic militants promising technological progress and a matriarchal spiritual order living in fragile harmony with the ocean. Picked up by Dekanalog for a theatrical release beginning on September 29 at BAM in NYC and Chicago’s Gene Siskel Film Center, the film will expand in the weeks to follow.
Here’s the official synopsis: “In the oceanside village of Iyi, the revered Mama Efe (Rita Edochie) acts as an intermediary between the people and the all-powerful water deity Mami Wata. But when a young boy is lost to a virus, Efe’s devoted daughter Zinwe (Uzoamaka Aniunoh) and skeptical protégé Prisca (Evelyne Ily Juhen) warn Efe about unrest among the villagers. With the sudden arrival of a mysterious rebel deserter named Jasper (Emeka Amakeze), a conflict erupts, leading to a violent clash of ideologies and a crisis of faith for the people of Iyi.”
See the exclusive alternate poster below along with the trailer and theatrical poster.
![](https://thefilmstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Mami-Wata_White-Poster_WEB-1-810x1200.jpg)
![](https://thefilmstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Mami-Wata-poster-1-810x1200.jpg)
Mami Wata opens on September 29 in limited release and will expand.