Ìfé: a Lesbian Love Story about Two Nigerian Women Is Set to Break New Ground in Nollywood.
Nollywood is one of the biggest film industries in the world, but positive queer representation is almost non-existent. In fact according to Ife director, Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim, the industry often portrays queer characters as problematic, and encourages viewers to react to them violently. “I'm queer so 'Ife' is dear to my heart. I wanted to represent LGBTQ characters in a different light than how they are shown in past stories, to change how heterosexuals view them," she explained in an interview with CNN Style. Ife tells the story of two Nigerian women who fall in love and try to navigate the complexities of their relationship.
The film, which stars Cindy Amadi and Uzoamaka Aniunoh as the lead characters, has no official release date as yet. What’s more, it’s reported that it will face significant backlash and censorship from the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Nigeria’s government agency that regulates media in the country. Speaking to CNN, the board’s executive director said, “"We are monitoring the progress of the movie, and if it goes against the law by promoting homosexuality, we will be forced at some point to go after the producer and executive producer”.
Thankfully, there is some light at the end of the proverbial tunnel: one of Ife’s producers says there is hope for queer films in the Nigeria and other parts of Africa where homophobia is rampant. "It is something that is groundbreaking. We have received support, from when we released the poster to the trailer. It feels like people didn't know they wanted this kind of content till now."
While no official release date has been set, the director is confident the film will be out before the end of 2020.
