Eyimofe; 2 stories of dreamers, family and survival [REVIEW]

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It’s not every day you come across a Nigerian film that feels like a breath of fresh air–one that follows the lives of ordinary people and doesn’t lean on Nollywood’s familiar stars.

Rosa from Eyimofe (This Is My Desire), directed by Chuko and Arie Esiri

Eyimofe (This Is My Desire), directed by brothers Chuko and Arie Esiri. Its difference lies in the fact that it isn’t a Nollywood film in the conventional sense but an independent Nigerian production. Made by and starring Nigerians, its style and themes are, in many ways, deliberately anti-Nollywood.

Where Nigerian movies often present a certain type of Nigerian–upwardly mobile, trendy, upper middle class, accented–Eyimofe chooses differently. Its characters don’t represent that small, privileged slice of society. After all, not everyone has a cushy corporate job or the money for a polished wardrobe and accessories. Instead, the film focuses on Mofe and Rosa, two average Lagosians who dream of a life beyond Nigeria. The story unfolds in halves: first Mofe’s journey, then Rosa’s.

Mofe, quiet and soft-spoken, is a middle-aged technician living with his sister and her family. He dreams of migrating to Spain, but money is always short. As the household breadwinner, his sister depends on him. When tragedy strikes, one blow after another, he is left to navigate grief, bureaucracy, financial hardship, and immense loneliness–all while watching his dream of leaving drift further away.

Rosa is a young woman who works multiple jobs and, like Mofe, wants to leave Nigeria. Her destination of choice is Italy. She lives with her pregnant teenage sister, Grace. At her job in a bar, she meets an American, Peter, and they begin a relationship. For Rosa, Peter is less about romance and more about what he represents: a potential escape for herself and Grace.

Eyimofe is striking in its sound design. There’s no glossy soundtrack here–just the ambient noise of Lagos: market chatter, cars, generators, everyday life. When music appears, it’s sparse and unshowy, drawing on tracks like Eddie Okwedy’s “Happy Survival” and Celestine Ukwu’s “Okwukwe na Nchekwube.”

Visually, too, Eyimofe stands apart. It was shot on 16mm film, a rarity in Nigerian cinema, which usually leans toward digital gloss and slick production values. Its warm colour palette and understated cinematography make the world its characters inhabit feel deeply authentic.

The film’s appeal lies in its realism. There’s no overblown drama or theatrical acting. Performances are restrained, and the environments feel lived-in rather than polished. It’s a story grounded in reality, told with a level of understatement and attention to detail seldom seen in Nigerian cinema.

The casting reinforces this. Jude Akuwudike, a British-Nigerian thespian, brings depth to Mofe, while Temi Ami-Williams was a newcomer at the time, making Rosa’s character feel fresh and unvarnished. The absence of Nollywood’s big household names is refreshing, allowing the film to rely on craft rather than celebrity.

Mofe and Rosa embody the struggles of many Nigerians today. In light of the japa wave, their struggles are both recognisable and relatable. Though different in age and circumstance, Mofe and Rosa share the same battle against a system that seems designed to thwart them at every turn.

Eyimofe also carries the added appeal and prestige of being the only Nigerian film in The Criterion Collection. This is a big deal, as Criterion is renowned for curating some of the most important works of world cinema, from 1984 to Come and See. Its inclusion signals that Eyimofe stands alongside global classics, no small feat for a Nigerian film.

But Eyimofe is not just another Nigerian film. It’s a reminder of what Nigerian films can be when they prioritise art over entertainment. With its restrained performances, authenticity, and portrayal of ordinary lives, it stands apart from the Nollywood mainstream while still telling a story that is very much Nigerian. 

If you’re tired of gloss and looking for something real and substantial, this is the film to watch.

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Source: TheNet.ng | Read the Full Story…