Susan Pwajok and Fatimah Binta Gimsay return with a new collaboration, Laraba and Balarabe. The short film, written and directed by Gimsay and starring Susan Pwajok, recently dropped on YouTube and quickly began trending. Naturally, we had to see what the buzz was about.
Laraba and Balarabe
Directed by: Fatimah Binta Gimsay
Written by: Abdul Tijani-Ahmed
Genre: Drama
Language: English
A Reunion Wrapped in Unspoken Emotions
After a missed flight, two exes spend a single, ordinary day together, a day that reopens old wounds, sparks small pockets of warmth, and quietly asks whether love is something worth revisiting.
The plot is simple: Balarabe appears unexpectedly at Laraba’s door months after their breakup, and Laraba tries to piece together what led to the end of their relationship. As a short film, it stays focused, though it offers little resolution — an ending that feels intentional and true to the format.
A Day Defined by Tension and Lingering Hurt
Laraba and Balarabe follows Laraba as she tries to navigate Balarabe’s sudden reappearance. Her attempt to understand what went wrong only leads to further disappointment. The writing taps into a familiar emotional cycle: wanting answers, seeking clarity, receiving nothing.
The story is structured to frustrate the viewer in the same way Laraba is frustrated. It raises questions that remain unanswered, mirroring the experience of many real-life breakups where closure never arrives.
Emotional Weight Carried by a Single Strong Presence
Susan Pwajok and Mallum Arik take on the title roles, with Pwajok delivering a grounded performance that carries the film’s emotional weight. While Mallum Arik’s Balarabe doesn’t leave much of an impression, Pwajok’s portrayal of Laraba’s inner turmoil gives the short its resonance. It’s not a transformative performance, but it is steady and sincere — and that’s what makes the story linger.
Thoughtful Visual Choices With One Distracting Technical Slip
The film opens with a striking visual cue: as Balarabe knocks, the room Laraba is in shifts from blue to orange, signalling an emotional shift and subtly preparing the audience for the day ahead. The cinematography is carefully considered, and the music enhances the emotional landscape beautifully.
However, one choice stands out, a scene where the score completely overpowers the dialogue. Subtitles clarify the exchange, but the intention remains unclear. Typically, when music drowns out dialogue in film, it signals that the exact words don’t matter. Here, the opposite is true, which makes the creative decision feel slightly at odds with the scene’s importance. If it was deliberate, it’s an unusual choice for a moment that carries weight.
A Relatable Tale That Reflects Real-Life Heartache
The use of Hausa enriches the film, offering representation that Nigerian cinema needs far more of beyond strictly northern productions. Its relatability, the ache of loving someone who only takes, explains why it went viral. Both men and women can instantly connect with the emotional beats, because the story speaks to experiences many have lived through but rarely see depicted with this kind of softness.
Verdict
Laraba and Balarabe is heartfelt, warm, relatable, and visually thoughtful. It captures the quiet ache of loving someone who isn’t good for you and does so with sincerity.
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