What to Watch in West Africa This Month
These films and series are an excellent pulse check on the issues, concerns and dreams present in the West African region.
This month’s West Africa streaming guide is a feast of various genres. Culled mainly from Nigeria and Ghana, the list features thrillers, comedies, rom-coms and sitcoms. In films like Something Like Gold, a woman is left at the altar and finds herself struggling to rebuild her life. In Landlord, a group of tenants are forced to live with a hard-headed landlord around whom they keep up appearances so as not to risk eviction, making for a hilarious sitcom. And in With Difficulty Comes Ease, a woman grieving the loss of her husband is pulled between tradition and her need for self-realization.
Check out the full list below:
‘With Difficulty Comes Ease’ (Nigeria)
Touching and beautiful, With Difficulty Comes Ease is a story about resilience, grief and the unyielding power of tradition and customs. It stars Uzoamaka Aniunoh (Diiche, Mami Wata, Ponzi, The Weekend) as Zainab, an Igbo-Ebira woman whose journey of loss, new beginnings and reinvention is pulled against the demands of strict culture and customs. Aniunoh shines in this role, bringing a striking understatement to an audaciously told story. Directed by Korede Azeez, With Difficulty Comes Ease also stars Michelle Dede (Up North, Moms at War, Quam’s Money), Ummi Ahmed (The Perfect Arrangement, Threshold, Loving Rona) and other stellar actors.
Where to watch: Prime Video
‘The Betrayed’ (Nigeria)
In The Betrayed, a gripping drama directed by Zulumoke Oyibo (Up North, Saving Onome), a couple’s picture-perfect marriage falls apart after the husband is arrested for a crime — so grave, it ruptures the tenets of their idealistic marriage. This leaves a spouse, still grappling with a cracked perception of her life, with the dire options of standing by her partner or permanently putting an end to a life she had grown to adore. The film stars Uche Montana (Dinner at My Place, Love In A Pandemic, A Weekend To Forget), Gabriel Afolayan (Ijogbon, Blood Sisters, Coming From Insanity, Gone, Tatu, Okafor’s Law), Jemima Osunde (Water and Garri, New Money, The Delivery Boy, Lionheart, Palava!), Ibrahim Suleiman (Up North, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti) and many others.
Where to watch: In Nigerian theaters from August 2
‘Landlord’ (Ghana)
Sitcoms set in apartments and shared living spaces have always managed to be a hit with many and that premise, although tuned up with many Ghanaian nuances and influences, set the stage for Landlord. This series, filled with unforgettable moments of comedy, warmth and reflection, follows the story of a group of tenants renting a home from a hard-headed soldier. The series, for the characters, is a constant work in maintaining appearances and doing everything in their power to avoid eviction.
Where to watch: Akwaaba Magic on DStv
‘House of Ga’a’ - Nigeria
In Bolanle Austen-Peters’ latest feature House of Ga’a, power and the unending pursuit of it set the stage for a vibrant, epic story. Situating itself within ancient Yoruba history and lore, House of Ga’a follows the journey of an overzealous prime minister, whose thirst for absolute power results in destructive consequences. The star-studded film includes Funke Akindele (A Tribe Called Judah, Far From Home), Mike Afolarin (Ajosepo), Femi Branch (Iwaju, The Escort, Adire), Toying Abraham, Ibrahim Chatta and many others. In what has been a rise in epic stories — from Kunle Afolayan’s Anikulapo to Femi Adebayo’s Jagun Jagun and its predecessor King of Thieves — Nollywood is seeing an interesting, and welcome pivot to stories enlivened by history and ancient lores.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Criminal’ (Nigeria)
In Niyi Akinmolayan’s latest feature, Criminal, morality and compassion are placed side by side. The film takes place over a couple of hours as a group of armed robbers lock down a hospital, holding everyone inside hostage in their bid to get a wounded member, and the brother of the gang leader, some medical attention. Criminal examines the multitudinous nature of ethics as a doctor races against time to save the life of a criminal whom she ordinarily may not have attended to. This thriller stars Uzor Arukwe (Momiwa, The One for Sarah, Head Over Bills), Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi (Walking With Shadows, Tinsel, The Figurine), Gbubemi Ejeye (Citation, Far From Home, The House of Secrets), and many others.
Where to watch: Prime Video
‘Something Like Gold’ (Nigeria)
Starring Timini Egbuson (Big Love, Elevator Baby), Sandra Okunzuwa (The Rejected Stone, Dear Dianne, The Wildflower), and directed by Kayode Kasum (Soole, This Lady Called Life, Sugar Rush), Something Like Gold is a gut-wrenching story of redemption, loss and newfound love. After she is left stranded at the altar, a woman is faced with the task of rebuilding her life, all without the financial privileges she has always known. Something Like Gold is a fun, subversive take on the rich-kid-gets-poor-to-become-humble trope that has exploded in Nollywood in the past few years.
Where to watch: Netflix, from August 16
‘Aketekyiwa’ (Ghana)
In this moving series, a once wealthy man returns to his hometown after facing a financial crisis, to find the people he once helped hostile, and his home inhabitable. Aketekyiwa is a solemn, reflective take on the unpredictability of human behavior. The captivating series holds up the role of crippling expectations to the light.
Where to watch: Akwaaba Magic on DStv
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- What To Watch in West Africa This Month ›
- What to Watch in West Africa This Month ›
- What to Watch in West Africa This Month ›