Although the fight for women’s freedom is far from over, it is important to note that books, films, and the media have all played a central role in enlightening women to know that they deserve better.
In that vein, More Branches curated a list of books and films that talk about the unique experience of women, and specifically African women.
Keep reading to see them.
Books
- The 30th Candle by Angela Makholwa.
Set in South Africa, this novel follows the lives of four friends as they navigate friendships, relationships, motherhood, and all of the fears that come with turning 30. It has a Netflix adaptation starring movie stars like Amo Chidi.
- Yellow-Yellow by Kaine Agary.
A lot of books have been written about the effect of absentee fathers on daughters. However, not all of them are set in the Niger Delta and explore the wave of European men abandoning Nigerian women who become pregnant for them. In the novel Yellow-Yellow by Kaine Agary, there is a poignant analysis of how poverty among Ijaw women is deepened by environmental pollution. There is also a multilayered look into intergenerational friendships, the military, and its effects on women.
- This Is How We Disappear by Titilope Sonuga.
In 2014, news of the abduction of the Chibok Girls became public. This led to numerous protests and demands to safeguard women’s rights and girls’ education. In this collection of poetry, Titilope Sonuga explores the disappearance of not just the Chibok Girls but also of women in daily life. The poems usher the reader into the struggles and victories of Nigerian women and immigrant women.
- So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba.
Based in Senegal, this novel by Mariama Ba follows the lives of two friends as they navigate issues of polygamy, divorce, age, and friendship. It is considered one of the essential texts in early Senegalese women’s fiction.
- My Father’s Daughter by Onyeka Onwenu.
Written by the late singer, actor, and journalist Onyeka Onwenu, this memoir follows her experiences as a woman coming up in Nigeria’s music and entertainment industry. It also explores themes of womanhood during the Biafran war.
- Distant View Of A Minaret by Alifa Rifaat.
Set in Egypt, this collection of short stories explores a wide range of themes about the lives of North African women. It focuses on religion, sexuality, marriage, and the struggles women encounter in the face of family expectations.
- Under The Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta.
One of the few books that addresses the plight of queer women in the Biafran war, this novel by Chinelo Okparanta was written shortly after the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act was passed into law. It focuses on women’s experiences in the war and how they navigated the double effect of being queer and being women.
Films
- Isoken
Produced by Jade Osiberu and starring actors like Dakore Egbuson-Akande, Isoken is a deep dive into how more women need to choose themselves in relationships, regardless of family pressure to settle.
- Rafiki
Produced and directed by Wanuri Kahiu, this short film follows two queer women in Kenya and explores how they choose love for themselves even in the face of violence.
Co-produced by Fisayo Ojabodu and Desmond Ekunwe, this short film is about violence against women. It poses significant questions about how the overlooking of community members leads to the continued assault on women.
- Waiting To Exhale
This movie is based on the novel by Terry McMillan. Starring actors like the late Whitney Houston and Loretta Devine, it follows the lives of four African American women as they navigate friendships, motherhood, and love.
- Fifty
Produced by Ebonylife Studios and starring actors like Ireti Doyle and Dakore Egbuson-Akande, this movie follows the lives and friendships of four Nigerian women as they reminisce on approaching the age of fifty. Some of the themes explored include romance, issues of trauma, and navigating mother-daughter relationships.
- Milisuthando
Created by Milisuthando Bongela, this documentary follows the life of a South African woman as she explores questions of hair, identity, and beauty in post-apartheid South Africa.
- For Maria Ebun Pataki.
Directed by Damilola Orimogunje, this movie stars actors like Meg Otanwa and Tina Mba. It documents issues of postpartum depression, motherhood, and the ties that bind mothers and daughters.
- The Mother of All Lies.
Directed by the Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir, this documentary focuses on themes of memory and the importance of women actively documenting members of their families.
It was inspired by El Moudir’s realisation that she did not have sufficient pictures from her childhood.
- Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti.
Produced by Bolanle Austen-Peters, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti is a biopic that tells the story of Chief Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. She was a women’s rights advocate, an independence activist, and a proponent in the fight for women’s right to education.
The biopic documents a crucial time in her history as an activist: the Egba 10,000 Women’s March, held to fight against unfair colonial taxation of women. The movie stars actors like Kehinde Bankole and Omowumi Dada.
