The film told in a West African vernacular is nominated in the category of foreign films.
The Nigerian Film Committee has nominated a mixed-language film based on a folktale as an Oscar nominee in the category of foreign films.
The black and white Mami Wata film is based on a story told in West Africa about a mermaid god.
The setting is a small village whose residents worship Mami Wata. The local spirit healer helps the residents of the village in traditional ways.
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance festival, where it won an award for its cinematography.
Mami Wata is Nigeria’s first film to be spoken only in Pidgin.
Pidgin is a mixed language spoken among the people, which is based on English.
Pidgin is not a native language. It is used occasionally in West Africa, for example in trade, when the speakers lack a common mother tongue.
In West Africa, Pidgin is used by an estimated 75 million people in Cameroon, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria.
The British Broadcasting Company BBC has news in Pidgin. You can read and listen to them from this link.
Source: Reuters