I cannot recall if I heard someone say it once or if it is a general rule of thumb that many writers abide by, but there's a saying about the ways in which very specific details can actually help to make a story more universal and identifiable. Maybe that's because we all have many more similarities than differences, but struggle to remember that when others seek to keep us labelled and divided, or maybe it's just because more specific details increase the chances of people finding one little thing that serves as an anchor or entry point.
While set in Nigeria, and showing the very particular experience of Amaka (Uche Nwadili), this feature debut from writer-director Chika Anadu will be relatable to any woman who has felt pressure in her life, whether that is pressure within her marriage, pressure to have children, or anything that stems from the many ways in which society and family can push back against self-determination and happiness. All is well for Amaka while she is pregnant, as she is at the start of the movie, but it's only a temporary happiness. There can be no complications, and Amaka must give birth to a boy, otherwise her mother-in-law (Ngozi Nwaneto) insists that she will help find a second wife for her son, Nonso (Nonso Odogwu). Nonso seems happy enough with his wife, and insists that they can ignore the demands of others, but there's a chance that he's only saying that while everything appears to be fine.
When you get down to the details of the plot, this is difficult and hard-hitting stuff. Many women have had difficult experiences during pregnancies, or times spent trying to get pregnant, and this won't be an easy watch for those who have gone through even a fraction of what Amaka goes through. There are complications, leaving Amaka in a state of shock, grief, and helplessness as she weighs up the options available to her. And I can see a version of these events playing out in the lives of many women all around the world, whether they have support from a loved one or not.
Nwadili, Nwaneto, and Odogwu aren't the greatest of actors, but they all do a good enough job, and Nwadili excels in the many moments that have her quietly considering how best to improve her situation. Frances Okeke is another important character, proving her worth in a finale that takes everything to the kind of extreme scenarios created by the heightened expectations and societal misogyny that views women as nothing more than incubators for more male heirs.
I've now seen two films from Anadu, and both are highly recommended. This is the better of the two, due mainly to the power of the material, but she is a film-maker that I highly recommend checking out. And I hope that she continues to get the opportunity to tell very specific stories that also turn out to be universal and relatable.
9/10
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