Nigerian twin filmmakers Arie and Chuko Esiri are challenging Nollywood’s commercial norms with their 2026 Cannes-premiered film, Clarissa.
As an arthouse alternative to mainstream Nigerian cinema, the film offers a Lagos-set, 35mm adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway that critiques the nation’s severe economic divides and postcolonial identity.
Clarissa focuses on Nigeria’s wealthy elite, featuring a largely UK-based cast including Sophie Okonedo and David Oyelowo, as they navigate personal and social struggles in a divided nation
The story contrasts privileged Lagos life with the harsh reality of a soldier returning from the Boko Haram insurgency in the north, tackling themes of PTSD and elite indifference.Production & Distribution: Shot on 35mm, the film is distributed globally by Neon.
Following their 2020 debut Eyimofe, the Esiri brothers aim to establish a distinct, high-art, and locally relevant aesthetic in Nigerian cinema.
