‘Kasala’, Ema Deelen’s movie, ‘shows authenticity of Lagos’

Ema Deelen, a Nigerian filmmaker and director, says beyond general conception, slum dwellers also live happy lives.

Deelan, who is one of the female directors profiled in Niran Adedokun’s ‘Ladies Calling the Shots’, a book on female directors in Nigeria, said the narrative of slum life does not always have to be a sad tale.

In her debut feature film, ‘Kasala’, set to hit the cinema October 12, Deelan captured a true life story of four men in one of the biggest slums in Lagos.

“Most Nigerian stories about the slums are usually very sad and tragic. But based on my experience in creating documentaries and interacting with slum dwellers, I noticed that people living in these slums can and do live happy lives, because they have built a support structure to help them cope with the hardship around them,” Deelan said.

“These scenes depicts friendship, dedication, courage and doggedness of my characters as a representation of the tenacity of Nigerians.

“The film tells the story of four young men in one of the biggest slums in Lagos. I used comedy to explore how Nigerians address issues that are prevalent in our society and to also spark conversations amongst us.

“As a director, I am more concerned with what is being shown rather than how it is being manipulated. My focus is making my audience feel the humanity of others and to capture the authentic texture of reality.

“One of the things that stand out with Kasala is it’s rawness, grittiness and it’s true representation of what it means to live and survive in Lagos. I tried very hard to bring life into my characters What release plans do you have.”