PRODUCTION QUEER NIGERIANS
IN SHORT
Simisolaoluwa Akande delves into her latest project and the inspirations behind it
S imisolaoluwa Akande doesn’t want to be classed as a filmmaker – at least not in the traditional sense. The director of short films Dudu and The Archive: Queer Nigerians , which took home the short film award at last year’s BFI London Film Festival, Akande thinks of herself as more of a video artist. “Since the rush of the festival season died down, I’ve had this massive crisis of identity,” she admits. “Why do I make films? Why am I doing this?” An experimental short which blends both fantasy and magical realism with
documentary-style footage and audio diaries, The Archive: Queer Nigerians is a powerful and evocative piece of work. The central idea – to explore queer Nigerian history through lived experience – came to Akande during the UK’s Covid- induced lockdown. “In those moments, I was seeking community and wanting to connect with other queer Nigerians. Making a film is a good excuse and a safe space for people to gather and discuss,” she explains. “I had never considered that I might have queer ancestry,” Akande continues.
“I started looking into it more closely and understanding Yoruba culture, realising its own inherent queerness. That blew my mind and expanded what queerness was to me – instead of it being about sexuality or gender identity, it became a way of knowing the world and a way of being in the world.” At the time, Akande’s world was based in London, where she’d begun ‘spreading a rumour’ about the project. “Whenever I went to any events or met new people, I would say: ‘Hi I’m Simi, and I’m making a documentary called Queer Nigerians. ’
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