Goethe, NFC premiere documentary films by Nigerian creatives

The Goethe Institute in collaboration with the Nigerian Film Cooperation (NFC) has sponsored the production and premiere of 11 documentaries and films by Nigerian creatives and filmmakers.

The 16-month project, which started as a workshop last year and culminated in a documentary production, was themed ‘Post-Memory, Post-Archive: Nigerian Film History (1960s – 1980s)’.

For the Post-Memory, Post-Archive project, the filmmakers’ journey began in April 2024, during a workshop where they were thought and exposed to the processes of researching, restoring, and digitising archival materials. In January and February 2025, they visited archives in Ibadan and Jos, researching for their film and documentary projects.

The premiering of the films — which ended up in what could be described as a weekend of films steeped in Nigerian history — was held last Saturday in Lagos in a two-day event that attracted writers, filmmakers, and other art practitioners.

The organisers stated that the essence of the project, as is reflected in the theme, was to discourage the notion or idea that archives are dusty places where materials are dumped for storage and forgotten or visited by a few people.

The coordinator of project, Ifeoluwa Olutayo, stated that archives have dual meanings — a physical space and also a conceptualised frame work that engage the past, and in the case of Nigeria, as far back as independence.

Olutayo noted that the project seeks to encourage probing and questioning the past, reflecting on the present, and reimagining the future, all in the mission of personal and communal discovery.

“The project seeks to encourage creatives, artistes, and filmmakers to use archival materials to make films and documentaries that reflect our past and history as a people and country,” Olutayo added.

The Director of Goethe Institute Nigeria, Nadine Siegert, and Astone Danjuma with the Nigerian Film Cooperation, both noted that the project, from conception to the production of the films and documentaries, and to the premiering of the films, was a success for everyone involved.

On the Day One of the event, ‘Between Shadows and Light’ by Babatunde Tribe, ‘Palimpsest of Her Flesh’ by Ebimoboere Dan-Asisah, ‘A    Body in Metaphor’ by Amanda Madumere, and ‘Festac 77 Exploration of Heritage’ by Yusuf Ishaya were premiered.

There were also other presentations like the CCA Archives Project Presentation by Amanda Madumere, Jini Agbu, and Rasak Ako; and the Archive.ng Presentation by Samson Toromade and an Archive.ng fellow.

On Day Two, ‘Don’t Let Them Die’ by Ogochukwu Umeadi, ‘Reflection of Memory’ by Osho Abiodun, ‘Kehinsokun’ by Mide Gbadegesin, ‘Common Grounds’ by Philip Fagbeyiro, ‘Memoirs of the Soil’ by Eieke Bolaji, ‘Our Bodies, Nigeria’s Ghost’ by Immaculata Abba, ‘Memory also Die’ by Didi Cheeka. ‘Re: Constructions’ by Ese Emmanuel was premiered.

The films ‘Shaihu Umar’ by Adam Halilu and ‘Black Girl’ by Ousmane Sembene were also shown at the event.

Each film reflects many aspects of Nigeria’s history and past realities recovered from archival materials and rendered into new realities in forms of personal, political, and poetic meditations.

While appreciating the NFC and other partners for their contributions to the project, the Director of Goethe Institute Nigeria, Nadine Siegert, stated that they are happy with the themes and qualities of the films and documentaries, and will be showing them across major Nigerian cities of Jos, Enugu, Ibadan, Kaduna, Abuja, among others.

The director revealed that out of the 11 films and documentaries, 10 are ready and premiered, adding that only one was not premiered because it was not already yet due to it turned out to be a bigger project that requires more time to complete.

“All the films can be accessed and watched for free, and we encourage the filmmakers to apply for festivals to promote their films,” the director said.

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