Shot in luminous black and white and steeped in West African myth, "Mami Wata" (2023) follows two sisters defending their coastal village and the legend of a mermaid goddess against forces threatening to unravel both.
What is Mami Wata about?
Directed by C.J. "Fiery" Obasi, the film is set in a fictional village where the community's fortunes are tied to belief in Mami Wata, a water spirit whose favor has long protected the people. When outside pressures disturb that balance, two sisters find themselves pulled into a fight to defend their home and restore what the village has lost. Running 107 minutes, the film moves at a deliberate pace, letting its imagery of coastline, ritual and firelight carry as much of the story as its dialogue. It is a co-production spanning France, Nigeria and the United Kingdom, and it blends drama, fantasy and thriller elements rather than settling into any single genre. Evelyne Ily Juhen and Uzoamaka Aniunoh lead the cast, joined by Emeka Amakeze, Rita Edochie, Kelechi Udegbe, Tough Bone, Tim Ebuka and Sofiath Sanni in a story built around communal faith tested by outside disruption.
About the cast
Evelyne Ily Juhen and Uzoamaka Aniunoh anchor the film as the two sisters at its center, with Emeka Amakeze, Rita Edochie and Kelechi Udegbe among the supporting cast rounding out the village community. The ensemble draws on West African screen talent, matching a story rooted specifically in the region's folklore rather than a generalized fantasy setting.
Context & significance
Mami Wata is a water deity found across West and Central African folk traditions, and the film uses that mythology as its foundation rather than as decoration, treating belief and ritual as central to how the village understands itself. The black-and-white cinematography sets it apart visually from most genre fantasy, giving the folklore a stark, almost documentary weight. As a France-Nigeria-United Kingdom co-production, it reflects a growing wave of African-led genre filmmaking reaching wider international audiences through festival circuits and streaming.
Watching Mami Wata on Ktime
"Mami Wata" is available on K-Time with a free account login, and browsing the page itself carries no cost. The platform centers a Farsi-first experience for Persian-speaking audiences while carrying a broad international catalogue, so a title like this one sits alongside both world cinema and a deep library of Iranian film and television.