Mothers Of Chibok Documentary Premieres At Doc NYC, Celebrates Resilience Amid Tragedy

The highly anticipated documentary Mothers of Chibok premiered on November 16 at the prestigious Doc NYC, an annual documentary film festival in New York. Directed by Joel ‘Kachi’ Benson, an acclaimed Nigerian filmmaker, the film delves into the enduring strength of mothers whose daughters were abducted by Boko Haram militants in 2014.

The film chronicles the lives of four mothers throughout a farming season, highlighting their perseverance and quiet moments of triumph amidst ongoing grief. Benson, who previously won the Best Immersive Story award at the 76th Venice International Film Festival for his virtual reality project Daughters of Chibok, brings a fresh perspective to this story of loss and hope and sees Mothers of Chibok as the sequel to Daughters of Chibok.

For the last five years, I have spent time with the mothers and survivors of the Chibok tragedy. I’ve eaten with them in their homes, played with their children, and gone with them to till their farms.

Above all, I’ve listened to their stories – the ones they’ve told me, and those I overhear in passing conversations. And what I’ve learned is that the women of Chibok are more than the tragedy that is mainly used to describe them, he shared about the film.

Produced by Impact Partners and Hunting Lane, Mothers of Chibok moves beyond sorrow, celebrating women as symbols of hope and strength. Through Benson’s lens, viewers gain an intimate glimpse into their everyday lives, including moments of joy and resolve.

The Chibok abductions, which occurred in April 2014, saw over 200 schoolgirls taken from their boarding school by armed insurgents, sparking international outrage. Benson spent five years immersing himself in the lives of the mothers and survivors, listening to their stories and witnessing their resilience firsthand.

Following its debut, the documentary is scheduled for another screening at the festival on November 20 before beginning a home tour in Nigeria, where the story resonates deeply.

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