I started this film hoping to get a concise emotional anchor from its characters. It has been said that emotional healing can be gotten from watching great tragedies.
“The Days to Follow” delivered a range of emotions for me in its 5-minute run. I felt hope, dread and grief.
Presented by BGH production, “The Days to Follow”, observes how the lives of two sisters change after they attend the historic #ENDSARS protests in Lagos state.
“The Days To Follow” explores the turmoil of its character days after the Nigerian Army opened fire at unarmed protesters at the Lekki Tollgate. It focuses on what happened after the dust settled and the bodies were cleared away.
The hope Nigerians had when they demanded change had faded away and the protests left pain, death and destruction in its wake. “They can’t kill all of us,” we said, but they did and for those who survived, they killed their morale.
The Days to Follow premiered on the 20th of October 2021, marking the first anniversary of the tragic event. The animation touches on the painful reality of the lives of people affected by police brutality after the cameras stopped rolling and everyone has gone home.
Jamila Dankaro, Writer and Director of the film, told Document Women that animation was chosen as the medium to tell this riveting story because she wanted the playfulness of the colours to cut through the solemn message.
Ms Dankaro’s mission is to tell the story of what happened in Nigeria in a way that evokes deep feelings and remembrance of the event without evoking trauma.
“All over the world, we (Black people) are arguing the validity of their voice and with this pain in mind, I wanted to create something to honour the families who lost their loved ones. I wanted to create something for my people,” She said.
Watch the film here.
About the director:
Jamila Dankaro is a British-Nigerian writer and cultural curator whose work is centred around women’s rights, art, film, photography, and travel.
After pursuing a legal career, Ms Dankaro felt her talents were more suited for a creative field. She began her journey of filmmaking in 2018 after realising her passion for storytelling.
“Storytelling is the baseline of which I appeal to human emotion. It cuts across all areas of my work. I don’t think it is possible to connect to a story without giving it context. Storytelling is the job, it is what people remember.”
Ms Dankaro’s commitment to storytelling extends beyond the screen. Ms Dankaro tells Document Women that she is currently working on a book that focuses on the lives of immigrant women and their daughters, highlighting gender-specific issues that their male counterparts may never experience.
Ms Dankaro tells us that she religiously lives by these words of Cleo Wade, Poet and Author; “We honour the dream by doing the work.”