Women Affair

Our Rating: L Factor: Major lesbian content Short Take: A Nigerian mother forbids her daughter from seeing men, so she becomes a lesbian. Alternate Titles:
Year: 2003 Duration: Language: Nigeria/English MPAA: Not Rated	Director: Andy Chukwu Writer: Starring: Stephen Bonam, Oby Kechere, Genevieve Nnaji, Rita Nzelu, Patience Ozokwor, Maureen Solomon

The Nigerian film industry, or Nollywood, is the third largest in the world behind the United States and India. It’s also an African country whose Muslim and Christian religious institutions are extremely homophobic. Women Affair is a rare film in its focus on lesbian relationships, even though it does turn into a morality tale.

Angie (Patience Ozorkwor) is distressed to witness the death of her friend’s daughter after a botched abortion. To keep her own daughter Brenda (Genevieve Nnaji) in check, Angie physically verifies that she is a virgin and now forbids her to socialize with boys.

This leaves Brenda open to her friend Oluchi’s (Maureen Solomon) suggestion that her mother would never guess if she had a girlfriend instead. Both young women end up being seduced by Esther (Rita Nzelu), an older woman who plies them with gifts, clothes and promises of travel to London. It all ends up in a jealous tangle.

Eventually Brenda moves into a dorm, where she meets new girlfriend Franca (Chioma Nnadi). When her mother tries to arrange her daughter’s marriage, she is shocked to find that Brenda is no longer interested in men. Angie finds out why from backstabbing Oluchi, who outs Brenda to her family and friends.

The film’s lesbians – Brenda, Oluchi and Esther – all end up dead, beaten or in prison. The closing song tells us that it is really Angie who is to blame for making Brenda hate and fear men. If only someone had committed suicide, we would have the perfect anti-lesbian conclusion! (AB)