From Cameroonian filmmaker Victor Viyuoh comes a drama titled Ninah’s Dowry, his feature film debut.

The film tells the story of Ninah, a wife who flees her abusive husband. When Ninah’s husband discovers that she is pregnant, he goes after her, determined either to recover his dowry payment or to bring her home.

The filmmaker says that the film is inspired by the true story of his cousin, who was an excellent student forced to abandon her studies to marry a physically abusive man. After bearing three children, his cousin found the abuse unbearable and ran away. Her husband pursued her, demanding that she return his dowry money. When she was unable to pay him the money, her husband and his two friends beat her and dragged her through the streets. No one helped her. Taken back to her abusive life, which could end in possible death, she comes up with a way to escape.

Viyuoh says that his film focuses on the day Nina’s husband finds her, after she leaves him, adding that the film highlights an important human rights issue but is not a propaganda film. It’s a true story and an important one, that took him about 5 years to make.

And now the film is making its debut at the ongoing FESPACO in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, which actually comes to a close tomorrow. Because it was shot on a digital format, and isn’t screening via film print, the film is in competition in the Video category, and isn’t eligible for the Golden Stallion award (read my piece on this issue HERE).

A trailer for the film is embedded below:

Ninah’s Dowry Trailer from Daniel Tan on Vimeo.