Thoughts on Eyimofe (This Is My Desire)

    On Criterion, I watched the 2020 film Eyimofe (This Is My Desire), based off of Ayo Edebiri's recommendation on a Criterion Closet video. It was directed by Nigerian twin brothers Arie and Chuko Esiri, and focuses on two working-class people in Lagos trying to eke out a living while wanting to travel abroad to Europe for work and more opportunities. Mofe (Jude Akuwudike) is an electrician who lost his family to a tragedy, and is dealing with owing money to various people, going through the bureaucratic stress of handling his family's funeral and estate costs, not being able to leave the country due to visa issues, and feeling trapped. Similarly, Rosa (Temi Ami-Williams), is a hairdresser who is struggling to pay the rent, taking care of her younger teen sister, taking advantage of her landlord's leniency until he feels used, and she dates a white American in Nigeria on business, hoping he can help her find a way out.

    It's a really fascinating movie about regular people going through economic struggles, where everything is about money or a deal going through, and I could really feel the frustration of the characters feeling trapped in their status, and when Mofe screams and wrecks shit up at his job, I could relate to his pain.