Kachi Benson’s Mothers of Chibok Wins Encounters Al Jazeera Award For Best African Feature Documentary

Kachi Benson’s documentary, Mothers of Chibok, has won the Encounters Al Jazeera award for Best African Feature Documentary at the 27th Encounters South African International Documentary Festival.

The film, which follows the lives of four mothers whose daughters were among the 276 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014, tells their stories with raw honesty and quiet power. But this is not a film about victims. It’s about women: Yana, Lydia, Ladi, and Maryam, who continue to plant, cook, cry, laugh, and live, even with a piece of them missing.

Benson didn’t just visit these women for interviews; he lived among them. He farmed with them, listened to their hopes and heartbreak, and carefully wove their experiences into a documentary that doesn’t ask for pity but demands respect.

This significant win adds to what has been a defining season for Benson. Just weeks ago, he took home an Emmy Award for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary with Madu, a touching film about a young Nigerian ballet dancer who chased his dream despite the odds stacked against him.

Back in 2019, Benson had already made waves globally when his virtual reality short, Daughters of Chibok, won Best VR Story at the Venice Film Festival, making him the first African filmmaker to receive that honour.

Now, the ‘Mothers of Chibok’ is receiving standing ovations across continents. From New York to Lagos to Cape Town, it is clear that Benson is not just telling stories. He’s giving voice to those who have long been unheard.

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Chinalurumogu Eze

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