Hollyshorts Film Festival – Mo Abudu

By: Gladys Luna

HER PERFECT LIFE – WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY MO ABUDU

“There’s more to life than meets the eye” or so they say. Perfection is a word that’s not nearly close enough to define Onajite’s (Pearl Thusi) lifestyle. Spending her days between fancy parties, an enviable luxurious life, managing a successful career and having built the perfect family one can wonder what is there to be missed? Exhausted from living a well-rehearsed life, our protagonist wakes up one morning with just one thought in mind: to pursue the one thing that would finally put her mind at ease.

Writer/Director Mo Abudu accomplishes the task of addressing the daily struggles of dealing with mental health issues, the shame and confusion that come with it and that more often than not it leads to the most astounding repercussions. Abudu allows us into Onajite’s mind with such respect and caution that for a moment that you can feel yourself swimming in there. The contrasting use of light and shiny scenarios against the darkness our protagonist carries inside serves as a good symbolic manner that takes us through the most aching yet thoughtful ride. Pearl Thusi’s performance is so accurate that it manages to convey the rollercoaster of emotions her character is experiencing every second without using a single word in most cases. This is a gut-wrenching short film that you definitely should not miss.

ÌYÀWÓ MI (MY WIFE) – WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY MO ABUDU

What happens when ignorance meets desperation? Kunle (Adedemeji Lateef) is a man like all the others in his neighborhood. Every night he comes home after work to meet with his wife Eniola (Bolaji Ogunmola) and children, but one night an unexpected event puts his existence spinning and changes it forever. He comes to a whole different scenario where he is informed that Eniola has suddenly lost her senses, threatening with killing everybody that attempts to be near her. Moved by confusion and distress, Kunle sets himself off in search of a cure for his wife who appears to have been disconnected from this world and confronts him with an unexpected reality that leads him to the most frightening consequences.

Once again, we are witness to Mo Abudu’s work and determined intentions of exploring mental health issues while leading us through a society that is not prepared yet to take charge of what this represents in the modern world. It also proves how ignorance and the misconduct of some may only add up to the pile of misinformation about such a sensitive topic as this. Adedemeji Lateef grants us the gift of exploring every passage with him allowing viewers to experience every anguish and fear running through his veins. A totally recommendable short film that I hope will raise some awareness or at least bring up some questions about this silent murderer.