Nnamdi Kanaga's film "Water Girl" has already won several awards and is the first Montana film with an all-Black cast. The film will have a special screening on May 20 at the Myrna Loy Center in Helena, just days before Africa Day on May 25.
TIM McGONIGAL REPORTS - WATCH:
"If I can make an African film here in Montana, you can do anything, trust me, it's just beautiful," Kanaga said.
Kanaga first came to Montana in 2016 as part of an arts program that brought him to America, specifically to Bozeman.
"You're going to go to Montana. I'm like, okay, I mean, it's America, right?" Kanaga said.
The Nigerian-born actor, writer and director, who grew up in a military family, became infatuated with film at an early age and pursued the craft. He returned to Bozeman in 2018 to finish school.
His first film was "Hail Mary," filmed in Bozeman and Livingston, which deals with complex relationships between fathers and sons, much like his own.
"Water Girl" tells the story of a Nigerian woman living in Bozeman who longs to have a child. After years of trying, she finally gets her wish, but it comes at a price.
"It's almost like the child is going through a series of, like, supernatural, experiences. And she has no idea why this is happening. And then in the long run, she discovers that her child is actually off the water and the child must go back to the water," Kanaga said.
The film explores themes of humanity's relationship with nature, according to the director.
"It's about like how we and nature are constantly like fighting to get what we want. We take from nature. Nature comes back and takes everything from us, you know, basically. So it's a beautiful story about like family, love, motherhood, childbirth, you know, mother and daughter," Kanaga said.
The Myrna Loy Theatre website provides this overview: "The joys of motherhood is overshadowed by agony when Nkechi discovers that her daughter, Kamsi, is bound to the cyclical existence of the Ọgbanje—a spirit child trapped in the maze of life, death, and rebirth."
Tickets to the 7:00 pm screening, which also includes a talkback with Kanaga, are available through the Myrna Loy website.
Click here to follow Kanag on Instagram.
This article was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
