Clarissa, a modern-day reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway set in Lagos State, received a standing ovation after its premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16. The Film was shot on 35mm in Nigeria, with Jonathan Bloom as the director of photography.
The story follows Clarissa, a high-society woman preparing to host a party at her Lagos home, where she unexpectedly encounters her once-intimate friends from her youth. As the night unfolds, the group is drawn into reflections on their shared past, and memories of intricate relationships, passionate love, hidden desires, and lost aspirations surface. Over the course of a single evening, these recollections give rise to a bittersweet reckoning with the lives they imagined and the choices that shaped them.
Ahead of the Cannes premiere of Clarissa, several behind-the-scenes photos from the film were released, giving audiences a glimpse of what to expect. The film stars David Oyelowo, Toheeb Jimoh, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Ayo Edebiri, Sophie Okonedo, and India Amarteifio, all of whom attended the screening.
Introducing the film at Cannes, The Filmmaking Brothers Arie and Chuko spoke briefly:
They joked that they would save the longer speeches for their awards campaign. The duo also thanked the many collaborators who helped bring the film to life. They described the project as a welcome opportunity for many cast members of Nigerian ancestry to return to the country.
Following its debut screening in the Directors’ Fortnight competition, the audience gave the film a lengthy standing ovation, celebrating the brothers and their movie Clarissa.
