Beast of no Nation author to make film based on Chibok girls

Author and son of Nigeria’s former finance minister Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Uzodinma Iweala, is set to premiere a short film based on the abducted Chibok girls.

Beast of no Nation author Uzodinma Iweala

The upcoming film which is titled Waiting for Hassana, delves into the life of its main protagonist Jessica as she tells the story of the 276 teenage girls who were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents in 2014 from their school in Chibok, Borno state. The film is also in Hausa and allegedly has no subtitles.

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Iweala known for his book Beast of no Nation and movie of the same name said he was inspired to write the film by his mother Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former finance minister.

See his full post below:

“Over a year and a half ago my mom called me into her study and said “Uzo some stories just need to be told,” and she spoke about the trip she made to the school in Chibok where almost three years ago 276 young women were kidnapped by the terrorist group Boko Haram.

My mom introduced me to a local journalist and her husband, a doctor, who helped to facilitate contact with a number of these brave young women who escaped during the first day of captivity and who have committed to continuing their education as a way of paying tribute to their still abducted friends. I teamed up with my friend Funa Maduka (who directed this marvelous work) and Victor Okhai (our amazing cinematographer) and together we made a film that I hope speaks to the strength and resilience of not just these wonderful young women, but also their community and our country, Nigeria.

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A film like this is the result of so much team work and intense passion. My hope is that it adds to an important and ongoing conversation about a crisis in a country we love.

Thank you to the young women who shared their stories and the crew, producers, and everyone for the hard work and dedication in making this happen. Thank you especially to Funa for your perseverance and creative vision.”

Ifunanya Maduka, the film’s director who is also directing professionally for the first time also said, “A year ago today, filming commenced on a short documentary that aimed to tell the story of loss and resilience in the wake of the brutal kidnapping of 276 school girls from #Chibok in northern Nigeria.”