On Saturday September 7, The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film follows Jawu, a single mother who discovers a bag of money hidden by a politician.
Directed and written by the Agbajowo Collective, a seven-member team with five Nigerians, one South African, and one American, the film repurposes a real-life event: the demolition of the Otodo Gbame informal settlement community in Lagos, Nigeria. Its cast includes Debo Adedayo, Kachi Okechukwu, Teniola Adelesi, and Agunto Noray.
Produced in partnership with the Justice & Empowerment Initiatives, Slum Dwellers International, the Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement Federation, Die Gesellschaft and Raconteur Production, Vagabond Queen has already been acquired by the Germany and Kenya-based outfit, Rushlake Media.
In an official statement, members of the collective said they “wanted to make a film that would entertain, while showing the world the teeth behind anti-poor policies in Lagos. We also wanted to allow audiences to connect with the humanity of those who were victims of those policies, and offer a hope among urban poor communities that, when united, resistance is possible.
“These prioroities frame our distribution strategy. We want the film to reach global audiences in order to draw the attention of the policymakers and thought leaders, but more crucially, we aim to distribute the film throughout informal settlements in Lagos and megacities across the continent.”
The Agbajowo Collective are Okechukwu Samuel, Ogungbamila Temitope, Bisola Akinmuyiwa, A.S Elijah, Edukpo Tina, James Tayler and Mathew Cerf.
