Review: How do you survive Lagos?
Nigeria’s largest city dares us to dream, then shatters our reality.
Wilfred Okiche
In Afolabi Olalekan’s debut feature Freedom Way, the lives of 11 Lagosians converge and diverge when a reckless, anti-poor government policy comes into effect almost overnight.
Hollywood’s 2004 Oscar-winning Crash might have aged poorly, but it is clearly the inspiration for Freedom Way. Only, instead of race relations in Los Angeles, it’s police brutality in high-density Lagos that comes into focus.
Freedom Way debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival. It won top prize at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards and was written and produced by Blessing Uzzi. Its title references a popular street that has become a magnet for young people thanks to its booming nightlife.
Trouble is, there are no safe spaces for young people in Lagos. Wherever they gather, police swoop in. Not to protect, but to harm and extort.
Freedom Way is matter-of-fact about presenting its premise, which it draws from recent news headlines. Kudos to cast and crew for approaching the story with sensitivity. Tech bros, okada riders, corrupt police officers, and shady businessmen share space in this concrete jungle. While some have it better than others, the film makes it clear that this level of dysfunction leaves no one untouched.
At a tight 88 minutes, Olalekan recognises what’s at stake and remains disciplined with his storytelling. The pacing is brisk, the ensemble performances credible, and the film is visually smart without recourse towards excess or vanity. If this style has any drawbacks, it is that the writing eventually begins to show cracks: the coincidences pile up and by the end there is a lukewarm reach for sentiment.
Except this is not a story about sentiment – not for the millions of young people who still live this reality, nor for those who lost their lives during the 2020 nationwide #EndSARS protests against police brutality.