Nigerian-British filmmaker Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor, will have the premiere of her debut feature, Dreamers, at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale). The film is a queer immigration story based on a screenplay the director wrote.
Speaking in an interview with Deadline, the filmmaker said the film is drawn from her own experiences with the asylum process in the UK. “It was only after therapy and being able to dissect what happened to me that I could really write and dig into the experience,” she explains.
Dreamers is the story of Isio, a Nigerian woman caught and sent to a removal centre in the UK after her undocumented status is discovered. As she navigates the complexities of the asylum process, she falls for her charismatic roommate, Farah.
Gharoro-Akpojotor has produced a couple of films, including the 2019 musical crime drama Blue Story, before directing Dreamers and speaks about becoming her new role in the interview. Berlinale, “The thing about transitioning from a producer to a director is that suddenly you’re front-facing,” she says. “You can’t just hide in the background. I’m not used to it, but I’m looking forward to hearing what audiences think about the film. I think art is about challenging people and communication, which is why Berlin felt like the right place because it’s such an open political platform.”
“I was thinking a lot about how those who don’t see themselves as immigrants often engage with those who are immigrants in a way that always collectivizes immigrants,” she added. “If society had a different understanding of what it means to be an immigrant, then there would be a chance for us to change things.”
“Amazing” BBC supported Dreamers after BFI exit
The film’s development was supported by the BFI, but Gharoro-Akpojotor ultimately partnered with BBC Film to bring the project to fruition. “We were at the BFI for a long time developing, but then, unfortunately, we were unable to move forward with them for production. But the BBC was amazing. They came on board and helped us out. We had two other partners. We didn’t have a lot of money, but we had a lot of love for the project.”
Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor’s success is not limited to her feature film debut. In 2020, she was named a Screen International Star of Tomorrow and a BAFTA Breakthrough. Her short film For Love premiered at the BFI London Film Festival where it was nominated for Best Short Film before going on to screen at numerous international festivals.
Talking about the inspiration behind making Dreamers, she said: “I started in 2016 when I got BFI money to develop the idea. But I had the initial idea around 2011 or 12 when I was working through my own asylum process.”
Produced by Emily Morgan, the film’s cast includes Ronkę Adékoluęjo, Ann Akinjirin, Diana Yekinni, Aiysha Hart, and Harriet Webb. Gharoro-Akpojotor also serves as the executive producer alongside Claudia Yusef, Amy Gardner, and Doris Gharoro.
