The Esiri brothers, who won global acclaim for their 2020 migration drama Eyimofe, map out the subtle snobberies of a class completely detached from the daily struggles of the megacity surrounding them. In an elegant piece of visual symbolism, the film features a wonky mosaic in the shape of Nigeria that the wealthy hosts cannot seem to hang straight.

“It’s a perfect motif of the nation,” screenwriter Chuko Esiri remarked at the festival. “It’s slightly off and needs correcting… but no one quite knows how.”

The film cuts between the affluent world of the elite and the harrowing reality of Septimus (Fortune Nwafor), a young soldier returning from the frontlines of the insurgency in Northern Nigeria. Suffering from severe PTSD, Septimus’s life intersects with Clarissa’s through his wife, who works as her dressmaker.

Because this motion picture relies heavily on the emotional weight of memories, the filmmakers faced the unique challenge of casting each prominent character twice—matching their younger selves in 30-year-old flashbacks with their present-day counterparts in contemporary Lagos.

Guided by casting director Nina Gold, the production seamlessly paired its ensemble, creating an intentional bridge across different generations of the West African diaspora:

Clarissa: Rising star India Amarteifio (Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story) plays the delicate, complex younger Clarissa, setting up the elegant matriarch later portrayed by Sophie Okonedo.

Sally: Emmy-winner Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) plays a younger Sally, whose older self is portrayed by Nikki Amuka-Bird.

Peter: Toheeb Jimoh (Ted Lasso) portrays the handsome younger Peter, capturing a passionate affair that shadows the character’s older, more worldly life.

Hollywood mainstay David Oyelowo anchors the present-day elite high-society circle, bringing immediate gravity to the film’s social playground.