HERU

EXCLUSIVE: Nigerian filmmaker C.J. “Fiery” Obasi debuts his third feature Mami Wata in competition at Sundance later this month. Today, Deadline can share a first-look clip from the film. Watch the clip above.

Based on West African mermaid folklore and mythology, Mami Wata is set in the remote West African village of Iyi, where Mama Efe (Rita Edochie) acts as an intermediary between the people and the all-powerful water deity Mami Wata, the synopsis reads. But when a young boy is lost to a virus, Efe’s devoted daughter Zinwe (Uzoamaka Aniunoh) and skeptical protégé Prisca (Evelyne Ily Juhen) begin to sow doubt amongst the people. However, with the sudden arrival of a mysterious rebel deserter named Jasper (Emeka Amakeze), a conflict erupts, leading to a violent clash of ideologies and a crisis of faith for the people of Iyi.

The pic was shot entirely in the Mono Department in Benin, West Africa. The principle cast features Evelyne Ily, Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Kelechi Udegbe, Rita Edochie, and Tough Bone. Further credits include cinematography by Brazillian DP Lílis Soares, who shoot in black and white, editing by Nathan Delannoy, and Oge Obasi produces.

Discussing the film, director Obasi said: “I really wanted to make a visually sensual fantasy film about our spirituality, grounded in universal themes and exploring genre through ancient belief systems. African cinema has come a long way, but for us to take African cinema to the next level, and in some ways, perhaps create a new cinema – I believe we must do so through genre – however, genre rooted in culture and spirituality. And Mami Wata for me encapsulates the need to see that new kind of African cinema.”