At Lagos premiere, Kachi Benson reframes ‘Mothers of Chibok’ tragedy into resilience

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More than a decade after the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, in April 2014, filmmaker Joel Kachi Benson has brought a new perspective to the national conversation with the official Lagos premiere of his feature documentary, ‘Mothers of Chibok’.

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The film, executive produced by veteran actress Joke Silva, was screened at Filmhouse Cinemas IMAX, Lekki, before an audience of industry stakeholders, creatives and policy influencers.

Rather than revisiting the harrowing details of the Boko Haram attack that sparked the global #BringBackOurGirls movement, the documentary focuses on the women who have carried the weight of that tragedy for over a decade: the mothers.

Mothers of Chibok

‘Mothers of Chibok’ is a sequel to the 2019 short film Daughters of Chibok. This documentary follows four Nigerian mothers through a farming season as they navigate the aftermath of the 2014 Boko Haram abduction of their daughters.

The top four cast members include Yana Galang, Ladi Zanna, Maryam Maiyanga, and Lydia Yama.

At the post-screening discussion, the 2025 Emmy award-winning filmmaker said the film was deliberately crafted to move away from grief as the defining lens.

“For the women, admiration for their strength and their resilience. And for me, the original impetus was not to frame these women through the lens of grief and tragedy, but through the lens of strength. You come away from the film not feeling pity, but feeling admiration.

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“You think you knew their story. Well, now you know their story. But for those who haven’t seen it, you don’t know the full story. So go watch it,” he said.

Documenting ‘Mothers of Chibok’

Production began in May 2021 and concluded in November 2024, with Benson spending three years embedded in the community. He explained that patience and proximity were central to documenting such a sensitive subject.

“You have to be committed to spending time,” he said, noting that “When you spend time, you learn. You see other sides. The approach that we took wasn’t just to sit down, record an interview, shoot some B-roll and put it out. We spent time observing. It was a very observant type of film.”

He recounted waking at 5 a.m. to capture sunrise scenes and following the women through their daily routines, to their farms, homes and community gatherings. Even moments of breaking news, such as the rescue of one of the abducted girls during production, were approached with restraint and patience.

“You spend time, and when you spend time, you see things. You have to be patient,” he added.

One particularly striking scene shows a mother, Ladi, carrying firewood, a moment Benson described as both powerful and challenging to film.

“That was one moment that we filmed. I remember telling the director, Whatever you do, this thing must be in the film, because of what it means. It means strength and independence. I don’t need your help. I will get it.”

Beyond terrorism poster

For actress Silva, the film’s power lies in its refusal to reduce the women to symbols of terror.

“They’re beyond poster women for kidnapping, for terrorism. They’re beyond that. Their story has now been archived. We will never forget the mothers of Chibok because we have it on film,” she said.

The award-winning filmmaker described the documentary as a visual metaphor for transformation, referencing a scene in which barren terrain gradually gives way to greenery.

“That’s the power of a film like this. What it is saying to us and what Kachi has done with this film is to switch the narrative and say that these women are farmers. Why are they, farmers? They are farmers because they want to send their children to school,” she said.

Ms Silva stressed the importance of portraying trauma with respect. “No matter, tragedy happens, what is important for anybody who has been through trauma is to be allowed to get through it to the other side and be given the respect that they deserve.”

From film to impact

Beyond storytelling, Mothers of Chibok has evolved into a structured impact initiative aimed at strengthening farming, the primary source of income, and funding education in the community.

Mr Benson revealed that, in 2025, his team, working with agricultural experts, conducted soil and seed testing to understand why harvests were low. According to him, nine women were brought to Yola for training and provided with improved inputs and monitoring support.

The results, the filmmaker said, were significant.

“In November 2025, they had their harvest, and they all, together, recorded about a 100 per cent increase in the harvest. In some cases, like Ruth and Hanatu, they were reporting five, 600 per cent. Hanatu in 2024 had three bags; in 2025, she had 26 bags, which is incredible.”

To add value, the team has begun converting groundnuts sourced from Chibok into branded products, including peanut butter, paste and confectionery, under the label Mothers of Chibok.

“I dream that we take that name, the Mothers of Chibok, and make it into a brand associated with resilience and hope and courage, as opposed to abduction, kidnapping and terror,” Benson said.

Ms Silva disclosed that supporting each woman with seeds, fertiliser and irrigation costs approximately ₦1.5 million. The pilot began with 9 women, with plans to scale to 100 by the end of 2026 and to 1,000 within 5 years.

Benson expressed hope that audiences would leave not just moved but also mobilised.

“I hope that when we leave today, we leave with a better understanding of the mothers of Chibok… We leave not seeing them as stats, but as humans with a story. And when we look at them through that lens, I think that we will be moved from empathy to action,” he said.

Community leader Mama Yana echoed that appeal in simple terms: “As you people have already watched the film, this is how we (the Chibok women) are. Support us with money to change our lives, and also so we can send our children to school.”

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International accolades

The ‘Mothers of Chibok’ documentary gained strong international visibility, premiering at DOC NYC and screening at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and FIPADOC, while earning major recognition, including at the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, a Jury Special Mention at Afrika Film Festival Köln, the Audience Award at Afrikanisches Filmfestival Hamburg, and a Special Mention at the IDA Documentary Awards.

In April 2014, Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State, igniting global outrage and the #BringBackOurGirls campaign. While some have returned, about 82 are still missing.

Though international attention has waned, families continue to wait, and survivors, artistes, and advocates keep the story alive while demanding justice.