Lauded Nigerian Film “Eyimofe” Gets Trailer

Hailed at film festivals across the world, the debut feature of brothers Arie and Chuko Esiri has finally gotten a limited stateside release. Eyimofe (also known as This Is My Desire) tells the story of two Nigerian laborers trying to make their way to Europe. But with harsh conditions in Lagos and complex immigration requirements, their dreams and reality could be two different things. Mofe (Jude Akuwudike) is an electrician looking for a fresh start. Rosa (Temi Ami-Williams) is a hairdresser forced to support her pregnant teen sister.

After two acclaimed short films, their first feature also marks the feature debut of cinematographer Arseni Khachaturan. He shot the movie on gorgeous 16mm film. Distributed by Janus Films, it will make its debut this summer.

Eyimofe opens in New York on July 23, and in Los Angeles on July 30.

Facebooktwitterredditmail

About Kip Mooney

Kip Mooney
Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about. I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague. Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work. In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo. I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.