Black Life Presents: Nolly Babes and Highway to the Grave
The babes takeover the theatre for a screening of a classic Nollywood horror and a conversation
We’re thrilled to present a special screening and conversation with the Nolly Babes, Tochi and Ebele Anueyiagu. The sisters created their digital platform in 2017 with the intention of archiving and curating images and clips from the late 1990s to early 2000s, what they have defined as the Golden Era of Nollywood. Those films served as an important tie to Nigeria for the Anueyiagu sisters, who moved to Atlanta from Lagos at the ages of thirteen and ten, and collected films on their summer trips home.
Featuring iconic actresses like Regina Askia, Clarion Chukwura, and Genevieve Nnaji, their popular Instagram account @nolly.babes is in significant part a shrine to the singular fashion and beauty stunts these women pulled off. The lasting influence of these Nollywood babes is tangible in Nigerian and international style today. Beyond that, the account tackles some of the thornier discussions taking place in contemporary Nigerian and Black culture, both in the country and in the diaspora.
For their Black Life presentation, Nolly Babes has selected Highway to the Grave, a film that deals with indigenous mythology, superstition, and feminine power. The screening will take place in the theater on Saturday October 29th at 7pm and will be proceeded by a pre-recorded conversation between ruth gebreyesus, co-curator of Black Life, and Tochi and Ebele Anueyiagu about Highway to the Grave and all things Nollywood. Please do join us and purchase your tickets here.
As always, we serve a set amount of free tickets that we joyfully offer to Black Life’s extended community of Black and brown filmmakers, artists, creators, and curious viewers. We urge you to send a request to blackblacklifelife@gmail.com by Friday October 26th to request tickets to this screening and discussion.
See you at the theater,
Ryanaustin + ruth