Short film production has been on the rise with producers taking advantage of the availability of streaming platforms like YouTube, a change in cultural viewing habits with more people leaning towards short and on-the-go content as opposed to long-form pieces, and the affordability of production to concentrate on the finer details of filmmaking. Through this, they are able to address topics of conversation commonly ignored by mainstream production. Uzoamaka Power is no stranger to short-story writing of marginalised or misrepresented topics of conversation, as she tends to lean most to the topic of love and the challenges of relationships.
UDO is a story of love on the verge of collapse. The cold, pensive string music enlightens us of the atmosphere thick with tension. When Jide walks in, we finally get an idea of the story being told. It’s a lovers’ quarrel, or more accurately put, ex-lovers.
Gary Chapman, in his 1992 nonfiction book The Five Love Languages categorises the expression of love into five distinct components: Acts of Service, Physical Touch, Quality Time, Words of Affirmation, and Receiving Gifts. He posits that people express and receive love differently and that often miscommunication arises when one’s needs are not met according to their preferred form of loving. This is a common dating question among couples as there continues to be an increased awareness of the fact that everyone wishes to be loved differently. Thanks to this deeper understanding, couples are able to meet each other at the points of their partners’ needs and not what they think their partners’ needs are. However, it may seem as though Udo and Jide failed to have this very important conversation until late.
What is your love language? This is the premise around which the argument in UDO exists. Udo believes that she’s been doing everything to prove her love to Jide. However, all Jide wants is a verbal confirmation of her love for him. It’s the battle of acts of service versus words of confirmation. A lot is lost to this miscommunication, and what ensues is the hurt we witness. Of course everyone can see how deeply they care for each other, but in that moment, they drift and choose to address their problems only after they’ve broken up.
It’s fascinating how Onyinye Odokoro (playing Udo) and Bobby Ekpe (playing Jide) embody their characters. Beyond seeing, we feel the thread of emotions as they unfold. The doubt, then the anger at disrespect; the frustration when it feels like the words aren’t getting across; the fear of losing someone you love; and finally, the love within. UDO reminds us that love takes work. Occasionally, we witness Udo slip into this fantasy place where all is good and beautiful and dreamy between her and Jide; then she snaps back to reality. A reality of a love that is as bitter as it is sweet, as frustrating as it is reassuring. It’s all visceral, drawing from the saying that love is not a bed of roses (but rather a partnership that takes work).
Beyond the story, UDO is a cinematic wonder piece by director Timmy Davies and producer Abisola Yusuf. The set shines with its neatly arranged vintage-styled furniture and ambient lighting. This film manages to ground an otherwise intense atmosphere by exposing it to a congenial environment. The argument takes place in the comfort of a sofa in a home, which viewers can easily associate as a means to a beautiful outcome. The lighting is soft and inviting with so little spatial noise to avoid distraction from what was really being said. The occasional single character shots and zoomed-in frames of each character compelled us to listen to what each character was saying and feeling, preventing us from taking sides and eliminating bias and judgement.
It’s the season of love with Valentine’s Day around the corner. Why don’t you take the cue from this film and do the work that is necessary and ask your partner, How do you like to be loved?
***Precious Nzeakor is a medical doctor and cultural critic. She’s interested in art, fashion and culture. When she’s not busy saving lives, she spends her time crafting reviews and analysis of works of art she has consumed. Her works are on Lagosreview, Afrocritik, Brittlepaper, Kalahari review, among others.
