The early days of April has been a good watch on Netflix. The streaming platform, which constantly recruits African titles aside its originals served the global landscape with another educative, informative and eye-opening thriller that enters the crucial walls of two disturbing subjects defaming the African progress.
Sourced from Cameroon, ‘The Fisherman’s Diary’ flashed heavily through the child marriage system and the girl child education, which was a crippling bench decades back. Based on true life events, Enah Johnscot recreated a broken female Ekah (Faith Fidel), whose place of residence (fishing community) incubates ignorance as to the beneficial aspect of girl child education. Ekah’s resilience to have a future moulded through the basic formalities of formal education lands her into a marriage agreement with a man old enough to be her father.
The complexity of the real-life story is not loosened for cinematic purposes, instead retained and foamed for further clarity into the situation. The film’s powerful storyline and intriguing performances from the characters gave it an unchallenged entry ticket to the 93rd Academy Awards. It was Cameroon’s first submission to the Oscars for an international feature film nomination. Despite its snub at the entry stage, it gave Cameroon’s silent film industry a global audience.
Similar to Johnscot’s film orientation, other empathetic film directors have chipped in to the progressive dialogue of degrading social activities. In ‘Oloture’ from Nollywood, human trafficking is highlighted, while trokosi system stations at the centre of Leila Djansi’s ‘Like Cotton Twines’.
As serious as they are, these films fascinate audience in their presentations, making them some of the best theatrical releases that Africa has produced.
Knowledge is power and these movies have plenty of it. Scroll below for full synopsis and where you can watch them all.
‘The Fisherman’s Diary’
SYNOPSIS: ‘The Fisherman’s Diary’ follows a young girl, Diana Ekah (Fidel), who harbours dreams of a formal academic education. But standing in the way of this 12-year-old is the patriarchal agents of her father, Solomon, and his brother, Lucas, who are intent on making sure that does not happen.
CAST: Faith Fidel, Kang Quintus
DIRECTOR: Enah Johnscot
AVAILABLE TO WATCH: Netflix
‘Azali’
SYNOPSIS: Sent away to evade an arranged marriage, a 14-year-old begins a harrowing journey of sex work and poverty in the slums of Accra.
CAST: Asana Alhassan, Adjetey Anang, Ama K. Abebrese
DIRECTOR: Kwabena Gyansah
AVAILABLE TO WATCH: Netflix
‘Oloture’
SYNOPSIS: In Lagos, a journalist goes undercover as a prostitute to expose human trafficking and finds a world of exploited women and ruthless violence.
CAST: Sharon Oja, Omoni Oboli, Segun Arinze
DIRECTOR: Kenneth Gyang
AVAILABLE TO WATCH: Netflix
‘DRY’
SYNOPSIS: Dr. Zara meets Halima and tries to help her get through her horrible living conditions.
CAST: Stephanie Linus, Liz Benson, Zubaida Ibrahim Fagge
DIRECTOR: Stephanie Linus
AVAILABLE TO WATCH: Amazon Prime Video
‘Like Cotton Twines‘
SYNOPSIS: An American volunteer teaching at a remote school in Africa tries to save one of his young students from a religious custom in which she will be offered as a slave to the gods.
CAST: Ophelia Klenam Dzidzornu, Yvonne Okoro, Adjetey Anang, Jay Ellis
DIRECTOR: Leila Djansi
AVAILABLE TO WATCH: Netflix
‘Citation’
SYNOPSIS: A bright student in Nigeria takes on the academic establishment when she reports a popular professor who tried to rape her.
CAST: Temi Otedola, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Ini Edo, Adjetey Anang
DIRECTOR: Kunle Afolayan
AVAILABLE TO WATCH: Netflix
