''For Maria Ebun Pataki'' is a 2020 drama film directed by Damilola Orimogunje. It features

Meg Otanwa Meg Otanwa (born 14 February) is a Nigerian actress and former banker. She had her Nollywood debut in 2011 in the film, ''I'll Take My Chances'' and had featured in films such as ''October 1'' (2018), '' Ojuju'' (2014), ''Kpians: The Feast of S ...

and

Gabriel Afolayan Gabriel Afolayan, (born 1 March 1985) also known by his musical stage name G-Fresh, is a Nigerian actor and singer. Education He studied theatre arts at the University of Ibadan in Oyo state, southwestern region of Nigeria. Career He is p ...

in the leading roles. The film explores

post-partum depression Postpartum depression (PPD), also called perinatal depression, is a mood disorder which may be experienced by pregnant or postpartum women. Symptoms include extreme sadness, low energy, anxiety, crying episodes, irritability, and extreme cha ...

and was filmed in

Yoruba language Yoruba (, ; Yor. ) is a Niger–Congo languages, Niger-Congo language that is spoken in West Africa, primarily in South West (Nigeria), Southwestern and Middle Belt, Central Nigeria, Benin, and parts of Togo. It is spoken by the Yoruba people. ...

with English language subtitles. The film earned six nominations in the 2020

Africa Movie Academy Awards The Africa Movie Academy Awards is an annual entertainment award ceremony presented to recognize excellence among African and non-African professionals, who have contributed to the African film industry. The award was founded by Peace Anyiam-Osig ...

Plot

Derin suffers a turbulent time while in labour and subsequently delivers her first child named Maria. Following this, she keeps to herself and is unable to participate in celebratory rites and the care of her newborn. Not understanding her plight, Derin's mother-in-law verbally abuses her saying she is not a good mother.

Cast

as Afolabi *

as Derin *

Tina Mba Tina Mba is a Nigerian actress who was nominated for Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in the 7th Africa Movie Academy Awards. Career In 2017, Mba starred in '' Isoken'', ''Bariga Suger'', '' Okafor's Law'' a ...

as Grandma *

Judith Audu Judith Emike Audu-Foght, professionally known as Judith Audu, is a Nigerian film and television producer, director, casting director, actress, presenter, model and blogger. She is widely known for her movie production credits which include Ju ...

as Tola * Demi Banwo as AY * Tubi Aiyedehin as Doctor * Dayo Akinboro

Production and release

''For Maria Ebun Pataki'' was the debut feature film of Damilola Orimogunje. Damilola Orimogunje said in an interview that he was inspired to make the film after watching a French film titled ''Amour'' and having a conversation about

. It was shot for a period of 9 days in November 2019 in Ojodu, Lagos.

revealed via an Instagram post that she intentionally gained weight for her role in the film in order to portray a realistic post-birth body. The film premiered in November 2020 at Film Africa where it won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. It started streaming on Netflix on 16 January 2022.

Reception

''For Maria Ebun Pataki'' received largely positive reviews as it was described by the ''

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

'' as "intimate, artistic, unusual" and by the ''Guardian'' as “a quietly affecting Nigerian film.” A reviewer for the ''

Daily Trust Media Trust is a privately held Nigerian newspaper publishing company based in Abuja that publishes the English-language ''Daily Trust'', ''Weekly Trust'', ''Sunday Trust'' and the Hausa-language ''Aminiya'' newspapers, as well as a new pan-Afric ...

'' praised the writing saying "The performances are stellar in this film, but the writing is a blinding light. The writers make the story connect with the audience by creating a world full of characters that are real and tangible".

Awards and nominations

References

External links

{{IMDb title, id=13399804 2020 films Films about depression Postpartum depression in film Nigerian drama films Films shot in Lagos Yoruba-language films 2020s pregnancy films