At the Cannes Film Festival, Nigerian twin filmmakers Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri are drawing acclaim for Clarissa, a postcolonial adaptation of Mrs Dalloway.
Set in Lagos, the film explores the lives and private struggles of Nigeria’s wealthy elite against a backdrop of deep inequality and national tension.
“In any underdeveloped nation, the middle disappears,” says Chuko Esiri. “So it’s basically two classes.”
The film also examines the country’s enduring divisions. Esiri describes Nigeria as a colonial construct still grappling with questions about power and unity.
“The idea of Nigeria is a constant debate,” he says. “Do we become two countries, or do we stay as one?”
