When Niyi Akinmolayan first told people the title of his new film, ‘My Mother Is a Witch’, he was met with confusion, concern, and even laughter. “Which one is that one?” they asked, unsure whether to be amused or alarmed. But that discomfort, the kind that lingers under our skin and between generations, is exactly where this story begins.
‘My Mother Is a Witch’, which hits cinemas on May 23rd, is anything but a supernatural fantasy. It’s a film rooted in memory, silence, and emotional distance. It is a story about a fashion editor who returns to Benin from London and is forced to confront the ghosts of her childhood. Not the kind that float, but the kind that speak in sighs and discipline, in “I did it for your own good” and in decades of unspoken pain.
For Akinmolayan, the film comes from a deeply personal place. After witnessing his own mother’s final moments during her battle with cancer, he found himself reflecting on the things left unsaid. “We laughed about a lot of things,” he recalled. “And I kept thinking, ‘What if there are people she needed to resolve things with?'” That thought, combined with a real-life story about a dying woman whose daughter refused to come visit her, sparked the idea for the screenplay.
However, ‘My Mother is a Witch’ isn’t just his story. It’s one that echoes across many African households. In his words, “I want to tell African parents it’s okay to ask your kids for forgiveness. And kids too, it’s okay to understand what your parents went through and let go. It’s a hard journey, but one we must all take.”
Returning as the lead is Efe Irele, in what feels like a powerful reunion with Niyi Akinmolayan. The two first worked together on ‘Hey You’ and then deepened their creative partnership in ‘House of Secrets’. “I really care about actors who care about their craft, not just the paparazzi,” he said. “Those are the ones who make the best collaborators.” For this film, set and shot in Benin with support from the Edo State government, Irele’s roots in the region added both authenticity and intimacy. “We just knew we had to do it there,” he said.
Playing her mother is Mercy Aigbe in a role that stretches far beyond the glamorous, stylish mum we have come to associate her with. Here, she is stern, complex, and emotionally layered. Aigbe tapped into her own childhood growing up with a strict father who didn’t “spare the rod” to find the heart of the character. “He once gave me 24 lashes,” she recalled with a laugh. “So I wore ten jeans and 22 shirts. He still beat me.” But despite the humour, there’s pain and understanding in her performance. “Now, I try to be a cool mom,” she said. “My kids tell me everything. I try to be their friend so they can trust me.”
The supporting cast of ‘My Mother is a Witch’ carries just as much weight. Neo Akpofure, who plays a young, ambitious character determined to break free from the limitations of his environment, described the experience as deeply fulfilling. “Every time we stepped on set, it was a fresh burst of energy,” he said. “It felt like we were doing something serious, something real.” Akpofure also praised Mercy Aigbe’s generosity on set, noting that despite her busy schedule, she always made time to talk, to listen, and to connect. “She’s done this for years and you can feel her strength,” he said.
Timini Egbuson, who takes on the role of a doctor in the film, is no stranger to Akinmolayan’s sets, having worked with him on ‘Elevator Baby’ and ‘Hey You’. But this film, he said, felt different. “There’s a lot of unhealed trauma in people’s relationships with their parents. Everyone who watches this will relate in some way. And I hope they feel a bit of healing.” For Egbuson, who’s also been open about his own therapy journey, the story isn’t just entertainment; it’s a necessity.
Beverly Osu, a popular face in the industry, has spoken publicly about healing her own strained family relationships, resonating with the film’s emotional urgency. “Your parents are human beings. They did the best they could with what they knew,” she said. “There’s no manual to life or parenting. You can take the best from them and still set your own boundaries.” For Osu, forgiveness is a decision rooted in peace. “I love harmony. I don’t thrive in chaos,” she said. “After all the noise, family is still my sanity.”
Despite the heavy themes, ‘My Mother is a Witch’ doesn’t dwell in despair. Instead, it offers audiences what so few Nollywood family dramas dare to: the possibility of closure. It doesn’t guarantee happy endings, but it insists on conversation. It says what many are afraid to say out loud, that love alone is not always enough and that healing must be intentional.
With a story this raw and a cast this reflective, Niyi Akinmolayan’s ‘My Mother Is a Witch’ is a mirror held up to our homes, our silences, and the things we inherited without question. It dares to name the wound, not to provoke, but to start the long, overdue journey of making peace with it.
In cinemas nationwide from May 23rd.
