Here’s a look at a documentary project we’ve been tracking for about 2 years now, titled The Supreme Price – a USA/Nigeria production from director Joanna Lipper, about the pro-democracy movement in Nigeria and efforts to increase the participation of women in leadership roles.
Here’s the longer story:
The Supreme Price tells the story of Hafsat Abiola — a daughter determined to realize her parents’ dreams of alleviating poverty and bringing democracy to Nigeria. In 1993, while Hafsat studied at Harvard, her father, M.K.O Abiola, was elected President of Nigeria. The military annulled the election results and seized power. Hafsat’s father became a renowned prisoner of conscience and in response, Hafsat’s mother, Kudirat, assumed leadership of Nigeria’s pro-democracy movement, demanded that the US embargo Nigerian oil and spoke out against the military dictatorship, actions which led to her assassination. As Nigeria transitions to civilian rule, Hafsat, now a human rights activist and social entrepreneur, faces the challenge of transforming a dysfunctional, fraudulent culture of political leadership into a legitimate democracy capable of serving Nigeria’s most marginalized population: women.
As someone whose father sought presidency in Cameroon (Nigeria’s immediate neighbor) roughly 22 years ago, with similar goals of bridging the wealth gap and bringing democracy to that country, and who paid a somewhat similar price, this is obviously a subject of genuine interest to me.
The photo above is of Hafsat Abiola, by the way.
This film was made with support from organizations like The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation/Just Films, ITVS, the Tribeca Gucci Spotlighting Women Documentary Award, Chicken & Egg Pictures, Women Make Movies and IFP Spotlight on Documentaries.
It’s currently touring the film festival circuit, and will next screen at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in Chicago June 3rd and in NYC June 19th.
Director Lipper released an extended (10-minute) trailer for the film was commissioned by Gucci to launch their global Chime for Change Campaign at TED 2013.
Watch below:
