About Awani

Awani is a documentary that serves as a timeline that examines the evolution of the role of Nigerian women, starting from pre-colonial Nigeria to the present day.  The documentary uses a blend of archival footage and expert commentary to explore how colonialism has shaped political and social attitudes towards women but to also celebrate women from the past. Awani is a thought-provoking documentary that aims to simply answer the question, how did we get here? Awani received a grant from the Ford Foundation and recently won a UNESCO prize. 

Awani was written, produced and directed by Aderonke Adeola. Awani had a bi-coastal premiere in Nigeria at the Ake Festival and the United States of America at the Yale Africa Film Festival on October 26-28th. Since then Awani has been screened at over 15 film festivals around the world as well as won an Award of Merit from the Impact documentary Awards. It won a UNESCO prize from the Belgium UNESCO commission.

We have been floored by Awani’s reception both locally and internationally. We believe there are two critical segments of society who need to see and hear this story: students in secondary school and in university. Our sense of knowledge and identity are found in the colonial / post-colonial narrative from the Europeans. We have the opportunity to share our truth about the status of women before colonization and what really happened. We believe this story is relevant for both men and women, many of whom are still operating under the false belief that our traditional nature is one of oppressive patriarchy. In showcasing the film in educational institutions, our hope is that the perception, ideology and narrative of the Nigerian woman begin to change in the psyche of the next generation. 

We want to invite you to join us in this initiative and support Awani in universities. You can plan a screening in your alma mater or provide sponsorship for a local school. We would be happy to partner with individuals, corporate organizations and institutions. Please contact aderonke@awanifilm.com to learn more about how you can support this initiative.

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