Nigeria’s top film maker, Mo Abudu makes directorial debut

Nigeria’s top filmmaker, Mosunmola Abudu, known as Mo Abudu has announced her foray into film directing with two short films; 'Her Perfect Life' and Iyawo Mi' (My wife), a predominately Yoruba language film.

In a statement to unveil the production, she said: “I believe in learning and understanding any major assignment I undertake. Directing is an art form that takes years to master, so I’m beginning with baby steps. I have written two short films that I will be directing – Her Perfect Life and Iyawo Mi (My Wife)”.

“Although these stories are fictional, they highlight the mental health challenges, hardly spoken about in Nigerian society, that many people deal with all over the world. Mental health issues can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, income, or social class, and they are on the increase”, she said in a post on Instagram.

In one of the short films, Her Perfect Life, 39-year-old Onajite Johnson-Ibrahim, seems to have the perfect life – a flourishing career, a growing business, a loving husband, and two bright, beautiful children. Why does she want to end it all?

In Iyawo Mi (My Wife), Kunle arrives home one night to find a horror awaiting him. His wife, Eniola, seems to have gone mad; hallucinating, screaming at their children and neighbors, and threatening to kill everyone. Kunle takes matters into his own hands, with tragic consequences.

Her Perfect Life stars Pearl Thusi and Joseph Benjamin, supported by Omawunmi Dada, Uzo Osimpka, Christian Paul, and Mary Lazarus. The cast of Iyawo Mi (My Wife) includes Adedimeji Lateef, Bolaji Ogunmola, Segun Arinze, and Jude Chukwuka.

For both films, Mo Abudu, Bola Atta, Wale Tinubu, Shola Akinlade, Pearl Thusi, and Nonos Okpala are the Executive Producers, with Heidi Uys as Supervising Producer

As an executive producer, Mo has to her credit, some of the biggest blockbusters in Nigerian cinema, including The Wedding Party, Chief Daddy, Your Excellency, and The Royal Hibiscus Hotel. As part of a major deal with Netflix, her successes include Castle & Castle, Oloture, and Blood Sisters which are still leading the numbers on the streaming platform.