Esiri Brothers’ “Clarissa” Premieres at Cannes, Dissects Nigeria’s High Society

Nigerian filmmakers Arie and Chuko Esiri presented their film Clarissa at the Directors’ Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival. The film explores the intersecting lives, romantic entanglements, and social maneuverings of Nigeria’s privileged elite, set against the backdrop of a deeply divided society. Clarissa offers an unflinching look at how the country’s wealthy remain insulated from the immense suffering surrounding them. Clarissa is a modern, Lagos-set reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s 1925 novel Mrs Dalloway, starring Sophie Okonedo, David Oyelowo, India Amarteifio, Ayo Edebiri and Toheeb Jimoh.

Their debut feature film Eyimofe (This Is My Desire) premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2020. It was later selected for the prestigious Criterion Collection and gained international praise for its grounded, moving portrayal of life, family, and migration in Lagos, Nigeria

Through this adaptation, the Esiri brothers examine the disconnect between privilege and hardship in contemporary Nigeria, using the structure and themes of Woolf’s classic to reflect on social divisions, indifference, and the enduring complexities of postcolonial life.