Nigerian twin filmmakers Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri are drawing major attention at the Cannes Film Festival with Clarissa, their Nigerian adaptation of Mrs. Dalloway. Screening in the prestigious Directors’ Fortnight—which introduced Martin Scorsese and Bong Joon Ho to the world—the film stars Sophie Okonedo, David Oyelowo, and Ayo Edebiri. By shifting the setting of Virginia Woolf’s classic story to modern Nigeria, the brothers explore colonial history, class divisions, and social conservatism through a distinctly African lens. Shot on 35mm film in Lagos, the movie blends Woolf’s fragmented storytelling style with Nigerian realities, earning praise as one of Cannes’ standout discoveries. The Esiris said they were drawn to similarities between colonial-era England and contemporary Nigeria, using the adaptation to examine lingering social hierarchies and inherited privilege while highlighting the strength of Nigeria’s growing film industry.
The New York Times
