Joseph Jonathan

Mama Deola
Mama Deola and the Trouble with Performing Womanhood

The question, then, is not whether Mama Deola accurately represents Nigerian women. She does not,…

A Mama Deola Wedding Story
“A Mama Deola Wedding Story” Review: Kava’s First Original Is a Feature-Length Skit That Doesn’t Know It’s a Skit

A Mama Deola Wedding Story pretends to be a film for two hours while remaining,…

Olu Jacobs
Olu Jacobs: The Lion Leaves the Frame

Perhaps the most fitting way to remember Olu Jacobs is not simply as a king,…

Alahun: The Weaver
“Alahun: The Weaver” Review: Dare Olaitan’s Yoruba Epic Has the Right Philosophy and a Screenplay That Takes Too Long to Find It

There is a genuinely compelling film inside Alahun: The Weaver. It is about the violence…

Love and Life
“Love and Life” Review: Reuben Reng’s Debut Has Three of Nollywood’s Best and Doesn’t Know What to Do With Them

At two hours and three minutes, Love and Life is a long journey without a…

Variations on a Theme
MIFF 2026: “Variations on a Theme” Is a Masterpiece That Occasionally Forgets to Trust Itself

Variations on a Theme is proof that the most political act available to cinema is…

Chronicles from the Siege
MIFF 2026: “Chronicles From the Siege” Is the Film That Says What Politics Has Failed To

With Chronicles from the Siege, Abdallah Al-Khatib proves that cinema is indeed political and that…

Dao
MIFF 2026: Alain Gomis’ “Dao” Is a Three-Hour Act of Cultural Memory That Earns Every Minute It Asks For

Dao is the kind of film that announces its ambitions in every frame and then,…

Zikoko Life
“Zikoko Life” Review: Big Cabal’s Anthology Mostly Finds Its Rhythm in Its Second Edition

If this is what a second edition looks like under pressure to match its predecessor,…

What Do the Maknines Dream Of
MIFF 2026: “What Do the Maknines Dream Of”, “Obi Is a Boy”, and “Whispers of a Burning Scent” Find Beauty in the Difficult Act of Letting Go

Whether contemplating migration, gender identity, or an unconventional romance, What Do the Maknines Dream Of,…