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She had anticipated a peaceful protest where the Nigerian government would address police brutality. Instead, she found herself in an Abuja hospital, receiving stitches after police officers inflicted a severe head injury during the #ENDSARS protests.
“It’s hard to accept that in the fight for justice and safety from police brutality, I was brutalized by the police,” Martha said.
It was October 2020, and Martha, an Abuja-based writer, joined the nationwide #ENDSARS protests with hundreds of other young Nigerians. The movement rose in response to widespread bribery, extortion, harassment, and extrajudicial killings by the Nigerian police, especially by the now-disbanded rogue unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Martha hadn’t foreseen the intense resistance she would encounter. But she and countless other Nigerians faced violence from security operatives. Throughout the protests, participants were beaten, detained without cause, tear-gassed, and, tragically, some were killed.
“With how the protests were handled, the Nigerian government showed it has no problem killing its citizens just to subdue the rest. It’s shameful,” she noted.
Martha’s experience and those of many others affected by police brutality and the #ENDSARS protests of 2020 are the focus of the newly released documentary, “October 2020.”
The documentary by the Tiger Eye Foundation, a media nonprofit championing investigative journalism, looks into the events and aftermath of the 2020 #ENDSARS protests. It captures the movement’s enduring impact on Nigeria and the wider world three years later.
“October 2020” is produced and directed by multimedia journalist, Aisha Salaudeen and narrated by reporter, Abisola Alawode. It features activists, experts, and young protesters like Martha, all touched by police brutality and the #ENDSARS movement.
According to Tiger Eye Foundation, the aim of the documentary is not just to record history, but to ensure the lessons from ENDSARS pave the way for a brighter future for the country.
This is a question that keeps everyone up at night. Why are women obsessed with serial killer documentaries considering most of the victims are women? We did our research and came up with the following reasons:
It’s soothing
Serial killer documentaries give us a puzzle to solve. And they usually end with some sort of resolution i.e the murderer gets caught and goes to jail, which can be soothing.
Na past questions
It helps women plan their own activities. “Which activities?” you may ask. We don’t know. What we do know is you don’t want to get on the bad side of a serial killer documentary addict.
Serial killer documentaries require a lot of focus. You have to follow both the victim and the murderer’s life journeys to understand the moment they intersect. After watching tons of them, best believe your ability to focus on your tasks would be enhanced. This includes daily life tasks like house chores and work duties.
It helps us think deeper
Serial killer documentaries challenge you to think deeper and read between the lines. This is a very useful skill for every aspect of life.
It strengthens our third eye
How else do we know when our partners are cheating? We are able to sense these things beforehand. Call it the third eye, call it spidey senses, the point is we sha know.
We learn ways to find out how our partners think. Things like stalking their social media, waiting outside their office and hanging around their favourite bar to gather insight you can use to make them your partner.
It’s still pride month, and we’re queering it up one day at a time. We’ve given you a playlist of the best bops to get down to this season. Now, let’s move on to the best African queer documentaries. From underground ballroom culture to the dangerous intersection between religion and homophobia, these documentaries present a wide range of queer history and current struggles.
The Legend of the Underground
The American TV show, Pose, introduced the general public to New York’s underground ballroom scene when it premiered in 2017. But what if we told you that Nigeria had a ballroom scene just as resilient and beautiful? The Legend of the Underground is a documentary that explores different characters from Nigeria’s colourful ballroom scene. Shedding light on the complicated lives of members of Nigeria’s LGBTQ+ community both at home and abroad, it’s a must-watch that is both celebratory and eye-opening at the same time.
Born This Way
No, this is not a Lady Gaga project. The two characters this documentary follows are super obsessed with Lady Gaga and Rihanna, though (We stan taste in this house.) Set in Cameroon, Born This Way looks at the inspiring queer community in the country against the backdrop of a law that punishes homosexual relations with up to five years in prison.
God Loves Uganda
History has shown us time and time again that queer people existed in Africa long before the arrival of colonisers. And while “modern” religion brought a considerable amount of progress (Shoutout to the good sis, Mary Slessor), it also brought a large amount of homophobia.
God Loves Uganda is a 2013 documentary examining how American evangelicals are encouraging homophobia in Uganda after failing in America with the passage of the Same-Sex Marriage act. The documentary takes a deep dive into the intersection between race, religion and homophobia in Uganda.
I Am Samuel
This Kenyan documentary about the life of a gay man navigating life in a conservative country was banned because it was seen as an attack on the country’s culture and identity. Sis, what? Anyway,I Am Samuellooks at the life of the eponymous character, Samuel, and his partner, Alex. Shot over five years, it explores Samuel’s relationship with religion, his family, and the queer community in Nairobi, Kenya.
It’s almost an hour long, but trust us, it’ll be an hour well spent.
The Pearl of Africa
Ugandans are steady with the queer content, and I live! The Pearl of Africa tells the story of Ugandan transgender activist, Cleopatra Kambugu, and her fight for the fundamental right to live and love alongside her husband, Nelson. It shows the battle one woman has to face just to be accepted as a human being and loved in a country that fails to acknowledge her existence. This documentary will surely have you in your feels, so be ready to sob a little and be inspired like crazy.
Stories of Our Lives
This Kenyan project is more of a collection of short films than a documentary. Created by filmmaker Jim Chuchu, Stories of Our Livesshows queer life in Kenya through a series of five black-and-white short stories. Covering a broad spectrum of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex, the film, banned in Kenya, tells a collective story of people who have been relegated to the back of the line. It doesn’t give a voice; instead, it amplifies voices that the noise of bigotry have drowned out. An incredible project everyone should see even beyond this period.
Paris is Burning
While this documentary isn’t African, it’s an undeniable queer classic and an essential documentary. Paris is Burning is THAT girl. It follows the lives of drag queens living in New York City and the house-ballroom culture that provided them with chosen families and safe havens.
With Netflix, Amazon and more publishers claiming Nigerian titles, it can feel surprising when you sit channel-surfing for the whole day trying to find something worth watching.
That’s why we’re here. Some of the best Nigerian movies and tv shows of all time have been released in the last few decades. They show different sides to the Nigerian experience. If you haven’t seen anything on this list, do yourself a favour and fix up.
This expose on the life and times of Nigeria’s enigmatic musician, Fela Kuti is a staple. The documentary is shot with two timelines. The main story is about Fela’s life, from his childhood in Abeokuta to his final days in Lagos.
The journey sits side-by-side with a visual journal that follows the cast of Fela: The Musical as they prepare for their grand premiere. With interviews featuring Yeni & Femi Kuti and Sandra Iszadore, it’s arguably the most comprehensive look at Fela on Youtube.
Up North (2018)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvTVkh1LeLc
This 2018 movie, by Anakle Films, was one of the most talked-about movies of last year. It helped turn the production firm into a more prominent name. The movie’s highlight, however, is its portrayal of the NYSC program. The movie’s protagonist, a wealthy heir is forced by his father to Bauchi for his compulsory year of national service. There, he becomes more thoughtful and finds love. Up North has its ‘meh’ moments but it’s a good look at the gulfs between Nigeria’s social classes and makes a good case for the oft-maligned NYSC.
Knockout (2019)
For many Nigerian 90s babies, Wale Adenuga Productions reflected the playfulness of our childhood. Maybe that explains why Knockout, a movie by the same production firm is one of the funniest and most commercially successful movies out this year.
Featuring an ensemble cast of funnymen that includes Charles Okocha, Brother Shaggy and Klint The Drunk, Knockout is a beautifully offbeat movie about one man’s hare-brained attempt to win a boxing competition. Turn your deep thinking instincts off for this one and just have a few nostalgic laughs.
Women Of The Bay (2019)
With much thanks to the DIY culture, a crop of young filmmakers is creating timely exposes on Nigeria as they see it. One of the best in recent times is this short film by Nora Awolowo, produced by Kiki Mordi. The film is a humbling look at the lives of the women of Tarkwa Bay. Most Lagosians know the small island as a prime vacation spot, away from the bustle of Lagos. Tarkwa Bay is also home to an impoverished community of indigenes and local immigrants who service the wealthy Lagos Island neighbourhoods.
Hire A Woman (2019)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwQuE-FHGPk
Considering the new ground that this movie breaks, it’s strange that it’s only a footnote in most conversations. Despite being a staple of the Genevieve Nnaji’s Nollywood in the 1990s and 2000s, chick flicks, and their close cousins, romantic comedies have been replaced with shows of highbrow living in Lagos.
It makes “Hire A Woman” a refreshing watch. It’s like a real-life version of a plotline in Big Brother Naija, only with better acting, more creepy gazes and fewer disappearing accents. Definitely something to watch with bae while you try to forget you have serious problems.
“This is Not LA, This Is Lagos” (2019)
Lagos’ alte subculture has caught global attention in the last year, especially around musicians like Santi and Odunsi who have given more eclectic tinges to contemporary music. This documentary by Alte Daily is about one of the overlooked parts of the community; its burgeoning skate scene.
The documentary follows the WAFFLESNCREAM brand that has become known for skate gear and fashion in Lagos as they try to give skate culture into the Nigerian mainstream. The documentary is a refreshing look into what the kids are up to nowadays.
“Sweet Crude” (2009)
On a more serious note, if there’s one documentary you want to watch with a box of tissues in your hand and your phone on airplane mode, it’s Sweet Crude. The story of the Niger Delta, Nigeria’s overreliance on oil is familiar to most. This 2009 documentary (and Winner of the Perception of Vision Award at that year’s Seattle Film Festival) goes deeper into the heart of the problem.
It goes to the homes, boats, dead farms and empty nets of the people who have suffered the worst environmental crisis in Nigeria’s history. But rather than simply emphasising the problem, the documentary looks at the history of non-violent protests and the emergence of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).
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