Uzodinma Iweala’s Chibok Girls Documentary Could Land An Oscar Nomination

The author of Beasts of No Nation, Uzodinma Iweala, teamed up with filmmaker, Ifunanya Maduka,to tell the powerful story of a Chibok escapee in the short documentary, Waiting for Hassana – which premiered months ago at the Sundance Film Festival, to rave reviews.

In 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 teenage girls from a town in northeastern Nigeria. Waiting for Hassana is a harrowing account of one girl’s escape from captivity and a heart-wrenching lament for her closest friend Hassana — one of the many girls still unaccounted for.

The award-winning documentary is Ifunaya’s directorial debut and is the first documentary on the Chibok girls. It has played at over 25 festival and was awarded ‘Best Documentary Short’ at the Riverrun International Film Festival – which qualifies it for Oscar consideration.

Sharing on Instagram, about what inspired him to co-produce the film, Uzodinma said:

“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.

My mom introduced me to a couple who helped me contact a number of 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.

So, 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.”

You can learn more about the short documentary here – and check out the trailer below: