Phyllis
Phyllis
16 minutes
2011
HD
Phyllis is a moving and atmospheric portrait of a ‘psychic’ vampire, a woman obsessed with synthetic Nollywood dramas, that lives alone in Lagos, Nigeria. The central idea of this short experimental film is the practise and significance of wig-wearing in Nollywood film; a practise the director has invested with deeper psychological as well as science-fiction layers. Underpinning this central idea however is a critique of the unforgiving treatment of single women in Nollywood and Nigeria. The film is an example of what the director, Zina Saro-Wiwa, has termed “alt-Nollywood”, a genre that plays with and reworks certain narrative, stylistic and visual conventions of Nollywood. Phyllis explores the gothic possibilities of the Nollywood aesthetic creating a new kind of low-budget atmospheric film that is very much of Nollywood and yet subverts the genre. Using Nollywood to subvert Nollywood.
Genres Fantasy, Drama
Stars Olushola Adeyinka, Gboyega Babajide, Opeyemi Fajemirokun
Directors Zina Saro-Wiwa, Ben Grinberg, Zina Saro-Wiwa, Opeyemi Fajemirokun, Sese Somolu
Phyllis
The Big Shot-Caller
2008

The Big Shot-Caller

Stephanie's Image
2009

Stephanie's Image

My Life Without Me
2003

My Life Without Me

Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself
2002

Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself

Lost in Translation
2003

Lost in Translation

Boys Don't Cry
1999

Boys Don't Cry

Italian for Beginners
2000

Italian for Beginners

10,000 Saints
2015

10,000 Saints

The Promise
1999

The Promise

The Secret Life of Words
2005

The Secret Life of Words

Home Again
2017

Home Again

Kelly & Cal
2014

Kelly & Cal

The Trials of Cate McCall
2013

The Trials of Cate McCall

She's Lost Control
2014

She's Lost Control

Take Care
2014

Take Care

From A to Q
2021

From A to Q

Dream Girl
2016

Dream Girl

Supernova
2014

Supernova

On the Sea
2025

On the Sea

Due East
2002

Due East