In the vibrant and prolific landscape of Nigerian film, known as Nollywood, C.J. Obasi stands apart. Known to many as “Fiery” or “The Fiery One,” Obasi is a filmmaker whose work deliberately sidesteps conventional genres of romance and comedy to forge a new path for African storytelling. His journey is one of self-taught passion, artistic rebellion, and an unwavering commitment to presenting what he calls “an alternative African narrative”.
Foundations of a Filmmaker
Obasi’s creative sensibilities were forged in his childhood in Owerri, where he immersed himself in the worlds of Hammer Horror films and Stephen King novels. He translated this fascination into hand-drawn comic books of his favourite heroes and villains, even selling them to his peers.
This early blend of visual storytelling and genre love laid a foundation, though his formal education at the University of Nigeria was in computer science. After working as a web programmer, he made the pivotal decision to leave his career and pursue filmmaking full-time, a move he describes as essential: “Every single day I spent not being a film-maker was torture to me”.
A Zero-Budget Revolution and a New Collective Spirit
With no formal training, Obasi founded Fiery Film Company and embarked on his first feature, Ojuju. Made with virtually no money, this zombie thriller set in a Lagos slum was a conscious homage to directors like George Romero but rooted in a specific Nigerian reality.
Against all odds, it premiered at the Africa International Film Festival in 2014 and won Best Nigerian Film, later screening at festivals worldwide and earning praise from international critics. This achievement earned Obasi the Trailblazer of the Year award and proved that compelling genre cinema could come from Nigeria.
He further cemented his role as an innovator by co-founding the Surreal16 Collective, a group inspired by the Dogme 95 movement. With a manifesto of sixteen rules, the collective sought to challenge the prevailing styles of Nigerian cinema.
As Obasi explained, their guidelines included principles like “Every story must have an African perspective” and playful decrees such as “No establishing shot of Lekki Bridge” and “No more ‘To God Be the Glory’ at the end of the film”.
Expanding the Genre Universe
Obasi’s career is defined by a restless exploration of different genres, each filtered through a uniquely African lens. His follow-up to Ojuju was O-Town, a semi-autobiographical crime thriller he describes as his “Western in an Eastern land,” exploring the underworld stories of his hometown.
He then ventured into Afrofuturism, adapting World Fantasy Award-winning author Nnedi Okorafor’s short story Hello, Moto into the short film Hello, Rain. The film, about scientist-witches creating magical wigs, premiered at the prestigious International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and screened at over fifty festivals.
A Cinematic Triumph: Mami Wata
Obasi’s most acclaimed work to date is his third feature, Mami Wata, a stark black-and-white fantasy based on the West African water deity folklore. Developed through international labs and shot in Benin Republic with a cast and crew from across multiple continents, the film represents the apex of his artistic vision.
It premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Special Jury Prize for Cinematography, and later triumphed at FESPACO, Africa’s oldest film festival, winning awards for its image, set design, and the African Critics Prize. Selected as Nigeria’s official submission for the International Feature Film category at the Ninety-Sixth Academy Awards, Mami Wata marked a historic moment for Obasi and for Nigerian cinema.
The Philosophy of a Fiery Storyteller
At the heart of Obasi’s work is a drive to expand the perception of African stories. He has stated, “I’m not about any particular kind of story… There’s already so much out there about what Africans are, or what African cinema is, and in my view, it’s much too constrained”.
His female-driven narratives, particularly in Mami Wata, are a personal homage to the strong women who raised him, an effort to foster “a multidimensional understanding of African women experiences”.
C.J. Obasi’s journey from a self-taught enthusiast to an internationally celebrated auteur illustrates a new wave of African cinema. Through fiery determination and a visionary approach to genre, he continues to challenge expectations and project African mythology, folklore, and contemporary reality onto a global screen, ensuring the world sees the boundless possibilities of African storytelling.
