In “My Mother Is A Witch,” Nigerian Actress Efe Irele Bares It All

The film is a beautifully shot portrayal of a tense mother-daughter relationship and what it means to reconcile the past when viewed from a singular perspective.

Alongside Irele, My Mother Is A Witch stars Mercy Aigbe, who plays Imuetiyan's mother, and Timini Egbuson, who plays a jovial love interest. The film applies a sharp, critical eye toward complicated familial relationships with a moving subtlety. While there are moments of charged outbursts, angry tears, and sharply worded accusations, the film's most unforgettable emotional moments are found in the unsaid. It's found, for instance, in a living room scene, where Imuetiyan and her mother sit across from each other, avoiding each other's eyes, barely exchanging words yet fully acknowledging the deceit that has brought them back together.

Akinmolayan does something incredible by using specific settings to capture these quiet moments. For instance, when we first see Imuetiyan seated across from her mother in the living room scene, it is daytime. Her mother is coughing, recovering from the latest symptom of her illness; Imuetiyan is nicely dressed, seated away from her, and knotted with animosity. The power imbalance is clear. When we see this scene again, it is nighttime, and Imuetiyan, while trying to find her way back to her hotel, has been robbed and thus looks disheveled. There is no way for her to leave, and for a short while, she remains dependent on a mother she loathes. At that moment, the power balance is reversed, complicating Imuetiyan's animosity.

"Working with the talented Efe Irele on the set of My Mother is a Witch was a phenomenal experience," Akinmolayan tells OkayAfrica. "I was blown away by her captivating performance, which was marked by her signature finesse and charisma."

For Irele, who anchors the story with an unforgettable, exerting performance, there was an emotional honesty in the story that captivated her when she first read the script.

On complicated families

The Nigerian film industry is not unfamiliar with the complicated family dynamics trope. Many films and series have been made about tense mother-daughter relationships, which are representative of the often strict parenting style prevalent in many Nigerian homes.

My Mother Is A Witch uses that tense family dynamic familiar to many Nigerians to interrogate what happens when love begins to look like control. Throughout the film, we see Imuetiyan and her mother's relationship devolve into a battle for authority before eventually falling apart. But this film brings a unique emotional depth and a refusal to overdramatize. The conflict is recognizable but presented economically, allowing the stakes to build up and the viewers to form their opinions about the two main characters.

It's a film that understands how minor conflicts can travel through decades. The primary conflict that eventually drives Imuetiyan and her mother apart is, for the most part, light and petty. It's reminiscent of many of the conflicts that occur in real life, which may arise from hurtful comments or minor grievances.

"A small disagreement at the dinner table can carry the weight of 20 years of silence, resentment, or misunderstanding," Irele says, acknowledging the conflict that sits at the heart of the film. "Nigerian families often don't talk about emotions directly — so these conflicts become loaded with things we've been too afraid or too proud to say. We wanted to open that conversation through storytelling."

To prepare for her character, one torn between love and hurt towards her mother, Irele drew inspiration from the women in her life. "My mum, extended family members, and even friends' stories. I also rewatched some powerful performances in films that explore mother-daughter dynamics."

If Irele's character is defined by quiet anger, by visible restraint against blowing up, Aigbe's character, who plays opposite hers for much of the film, is more resigned, desperate to see her daughter let go of their tumultuous past.

"Mercy brought so much power to the role of the mother — she balanced fierceness with vulnerability in a way that kept me on my toes," Irele says.

"Sharing the screen with the dynamic Mercy Aigbe, Efe brought a depth and nuance to her character that truly elevated the film," Akinmolayan adds. "The scenic backdrop of Edo state provided the perfect setting for our mystical tale, and Efe's passion for the project shone through in every scene."

Seeing anew

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this film is its unwillingness to be simple. There are no straightforward antagonists or heroes. A scorned daughter finds herself instinctively caring for a mother she vowed never to see again. The measure of a conflict is not merely found in what was done but in the conditions surrounding it.

For Irele, it's a story that stretched her artistic boundaries. "It forced me to hold emotions longer — to sit in discomfort and still be believable," she says. "There are scenes where I had to say very little but convey so much with my eyes, body, even silence. That kind of internal acting is something I've grown into over the years, and this film really flexed that muscle."

While My Mother Is A Witch keeps its focus on realism in both emotions and familial rifts, it's also quietly optimistic. It comes to this optimism with caution and an understanding of how difficult it can be to arrive at a place of forgiveness. Even when it is clear what it wants to say, it allows the characters to move towards a place of reconciliation in a realistic tone, giving a sense that forgiveness isn't a certainty. In this way, even if a reconciliation didn't happen, the film would still have carried a powerful message.

For Irele, it showed her that "healing is possible — but only when we confront the truth."

Irele says she hopes the film prompts people to reflect on the relationships in their own families, the things left unsaid for far too long, and the way control is often misplaced for love. "If this film gets even one person to pick up the phone and say, 'Mum, let's talk,' then we've done something worthwhile," she says.