In ‘Imported Wives,’ Diaspora Dreams Clash with Arranged Marriage

Iyke Bede

Reimagining his work of two decades, ‘My American Nurse,’ Nigerian filmmaker Pascal Atuma returns with ‘Imported Wives,’ a piece that explores the intricacies of diasporan dreams and marriage, a condition Atuma terms “an epidemic in need of dire attention.”

Principal photography for the film took place in both Nigeria and Canada, capturing the unique stories of various diasporan couples whose paths crossed after choosing to marry in their home countries. The film explores the joys, pains, and disappointments of marriages built on more ambition than love.

In lead roles, Nancy Isime (Ifeoma) and Atuma (Mmiri) find themselves in a marriage marked by selfish interest for financial freedom. The couple must meet halfway if they are to make anything out of their relationship.

“I wanted to make a movie that has a strong message. And if you look at what is happening now all over the world, you see that our people are coming home to marry. It is becoming an epidemic where people are losing their lives, both male and female. Families are being destroyed. Children are being taken by the government, like in the UK and the US. The Child Protective Services. They have most of the Nigerian children, in cases where either the dad has killed the mom or the mom has killed the dad. So I needed to tell this story so that parents would watch, use it as a mirror.”

Atuma added, “Some of them, you have good relationships. They have a boyfriend that they have dated here for four or five years. Once the foreigner comes, the mom will say, ‘Leave this stupid boy and go and marry so that you can save us.’ So they married for economic reasons. They married for migration. We need to stop that. Marriage is supposed to be for love and nothing but love.”

The drama, which is out in cinemas nationwide, made its first public outing last week at a private screening at EbonyLife Place in Victoria Island to red carpet glitterati, with members of the cast and crew in attendance, including NgoziNwosu and executive producer Joy Madubuike.OkeyBakassi and Dr. ShaibuHusseini were some of the high-profile guests in attendance.

‘Imported Wives’ also stars OmoniOboli, Joseph Benjamin, Patience Ozokwor, Linda Osifo, and others. It is planned for a global cinema release in 39 different countries, after which it goes to streaming services.