AFRIFF: To weave a fictionalized past and present into a working tapestry of film is a test of many aspects of the process: the writing must be tight and every excess must be trimmed; the acting must be consistent across board, every version of a character changing but still holding their essence; the production design must reflect each period and never overwhelm the characters; and most of all, every moment must hold your heart because the past isn’t merely flashbacks but often a fully realized film in itself.
With her debut feature Phoenix Fury, Ifeoma Chukwuogo works this tapestry with the expertise of a seasoned director, telling the story of Ifeatu and Ewura-Ama through the series of mostly unfortunate events that lead them to seek revenge against the man at the center of their lives. Split into four chapters, the film operates efficiently in each chapter, helping fill in the gaps that exist as the story progresses.
With the main characters living lives across different time periods, extracting consistent performances from actors across board is important to keep the story grounded. The cast delivers this mandate steadily, though some more effectively than others. Uzoamaka Aniunoh (With Difficulty Comes Ease) plays Ifeatu with a magical presence formed by a life of sadness and grief, her naivety in youth is dripping from every movement and the light leaves her eyes as her life gets darker.
The only one to match her performance is Onyinye Odokoro (Slum King) as Nnena who is introduced in a brief scene that is sharp, funny and revealing all at once. It stands out as the forging of a female friendship that turns into a sisterhood. Ama K. Abebrese plays Ewura-Ama with a purposeful monotony inspired by grief that has sat in her character for a lifetime. Abebrese’s monotony is transformed into a revenge-fueled joie de vivre when an older Yali (played adequately by Richard Mofe Damijo) arrives at her resort, now governor of Lagos state in a fashion that’s oddly similar to a history we all know.
The story constantly plays the historical events of Nigeria like a backing track, informing the story but never overwhelming it. The Biafran war, a backdrop for Ifeatu’s birth and her mother’s disappearance; a military coup leading to her arrest; and the oil bunkering activities in Rivers State surrounding her violent escape. The many moving parts of the film never result in a cog in the wheel. Ifeoma, who also doubles as the writer, is measured in her approach, never deviating from the characters and their motivations.
The bumps are few; one is that sometimes the dialogue extends beyond necessity and another one happens when Yali is faced with new elements we are not familiar with. Nonetheless, the way her writing wields love in many ways in the film helps every moment of pain hit harder. Ifeatu’s grandmother (played by Tina Mba with hope and fear in her eyes as the child grows) is dedicated to her granddaughter’s life. The sisterhood provided by Odokoro’s Nnena keeps Ifeatu safe until it doesn’t, younger Yali’s (Joseph Momodu) twisted conditional love is a trapdoor, and Nii is a healing love that is steady and present even in death.
Ifeoma’s stellar writing is matched by her eye for a shot. Framing each scene with a masterful degree of precision, you can see this in one scene where the camera pans from the top of a building to the car where Nnena and her new madam stand as she is resigned to a fate of sex work. Phoenix Fury is vibrant when needed, switching between Nigeria and Ghana with ease and colour. This is powered by production design dedicated to its time and tone, alongside sets that focus on the story instead of pomp.
Phoenix Fury resolves itself in a divisive way. You’re asked to wonder, can revenge and healing coexist? That resolution will divide its reception but it doesn’t take away from the talented filmmaking of Ifeoma Chukwuogo who has concocted a story of many elements into a film that melds history with a tale of revenge.
Phoenix Fury premiered at the 2024 Africa International Film Festival.
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Side Musings
- Some of the wigs were so funny. My friend and I kept on saying “the bob!” anytime a funny wig came on screen.
- That CGI bottle at the beginning was so jarring, please I hope it gets fixed before the film comes out.
- The parallels between then and now are low-key scary. Nigeria will never learn, suffering in youth and suffering in old age.
- The forest scene where the oil bunkerers are apprehended, let’s get Ifeoma to direct the next James Bond film please.
Edit (12/11/2024): The review was edited to avoid spoilers.
