‘Afia Attack’ is a chance for dialogue about Nigeria’s past, says film producer, Ujuaku Akukwe-Nwakalor

Joining influential African filmmakers for the seventh edition of the Lights Camera Africa!!! Film Festival held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos between 20 October and 1 October, 2017, the producer of the Biafra-focused documentary ‘Afia Attack’, Ujuaku Akukwe-Nwakalor, emphasized that the “film is another chance for Nigerians to discuss the history of the country, and heal the wounds from the civil war”.

The film festival, a 3-day cultural event organised to celebrate independent African cinema, returned this year with the theme ‘RESET’ – to encourage conversations about issues and experiences in politics, science, arts, culture, and tradition with family-friendly programming.

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Speaking during the deliberative session with guests at the event, Akukwe-Nwakalor stated that the impact of the Nigerian Civil War should serve as a lesson to citizens about coming together to proffer solutions to problems in the country.

“During the war, many children were killed; women were raped while their husbands died on the battlefield. No matter how we look at it, war should not be the means to determine the strength of our unity or country. With everything happening in the world, it’s a time for reflection about our pasts and to heal one another,” she said.

The documentary film ‘Afia Attack: The Untold Survival Stories of Women in the Nigeria-Biafra War’, produced and directed by Akukwe-Nwakalor and Chris Odili, is a story about women who often undertook very dangerous journeys during the war, going beyond enemy lines to trade and bring back supplies.

Addressing guests at the event, Ugoma Adegoke the Co-Founder of the Festival said it will continue to recognise trending issues for logical conversations, while also using the platform to acknowledge impactful content rooted in African experience.