‘We chose the term “surreal” not because we were surrealist filmmakers,’ Abba T. Makama says of his collective, Surreal16. ‘We felt surrealism was another word for dreaming. When you’re dreaming, the ego is asleep and you’re running on the unconscious. You’re free. It’s about freedom of creativity.’
Editor’s note: This interview is available in our print issue, A Nation Divided. Buy the issue here.
Abba T. Makama is a Nigerian writer, director, visual artist and filmmaker. He is a Surreal16 Collective co-founder, alongside fellow filmmakers, C.J. Obasi and Michael Omonua. All three had been inspired by Danish filmmaking movement, Dogme 95, and moved not only to develop a new kind of cinema, but to also diversify production practices in Nigeria’s thriving film scene. Makama and I initially planned to meet at Orchid Bistro, Ikoyi, but that Lagos morning proved to be a logistical nightmare and we both decided it would be easier to speak over a Zoom call.
While waiting for the Zoom meeting to begin, I glossed over the notes I’d made about his and Surreal16’s achievements. In 2021, their Juju Stories, a three-part anthology exploring magical stories rooted in Nigerian folklore and urban legend, made its international premiere at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland and won the Boccalino d’Oro for best film. The project also won the best director award at the 2021 African International Film Festival...
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