EGÚNGÚN (Masquerade)
2021 · 15m · UK
Directed by Olive Nwosu
Tones: contemplative, melancholic, tender
A woman returns from London to Lagos for her mother's funeral and encounters a person from her past, confronting layers of identity and healing through the Yoruba concept of the Egúngún masquerade.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
Yoruba ancestral masquerade tradition as the metaphor for queer return-home — that's the kind of culturally specific frame that elevates a familiar arc. Sundance and TIFF agreed; I provisionally agree.
Nwosu using the Yoruba ancestral masquerade as a structural device for queer return — TIFF premiere, Sundance, BIFA-nominated, and the lineage of Wanuri Kahiu's Rafiki carried into specifically Nigerian-British territory. The cultural framework is genuinely particular, not decorative.
Using the Yoruba ancestral masquerade tradition as the literal structural metaphor for queer identity layering is a culturally-specific frame that earns the universal. 14 minutes; TIFF premiere, Sundance and BFI Flare selections, BIFA-nominated — the festival heat is real.
Reviews
Her presence on screen is magnetic, making the audience instantly want to follow her on her quest, as she comes to terms with her past.
Olive Nwosu has such a command of shot composition, framing, and camera setups that it makes a narrative film like this look easy.
Festivals
- Toronto International Film Festival 2021
- Sundance Film Festival 2022
- Hamptons International Film Festival 2021, Best Short Film
- Aspen ShortsFest 2022, Best Short Film
- Palm Springs International ShortFest 2022