Berlin Film Festival Highlights ‘Crocodile’: Celebrating the Journey of Self-Taught Nigerian Filmmakers as Inspiring Creators

The Berlin Film Festival has unveiled a remarkable new entry, showcasing the talents of a young Nigerian filmmaking collective known as The Critics. Currently featuring at the festival, this group, composed mainly of siblings and their cousins, has garnered attention for their innovative short films despite facing significant economic and educational challenges.

Their artistic endeavors, characterized by a unique freshness and mastery of cinematic techniques, have attracted support from prominent figures in Hollywood, including Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman and producer-director J.J. Abrams. In a show of encouragement, Abrams provided them with cameras to help elevate their filmmaking capabilities from cell phones to more sophisticated equipment.

The collective’s journey and the difficulties they have encountered are explored in the documentary Crocodile, directed by Pietra Brettkelly alongside The Critics. The film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on Friday and will have additional screenings on February 20 and 22.

Brettkelly, a filmmaker from New Zealand, discovered The Critics before the pandemic. “They’ve got wild imaginations, but very, very few resources, and what they come up with is astounding,” she remarked. “I think that’s so exciting for our industry that stories like theirs and filmmakers like them will challenge how we all tell stories and make films.”

The Critics—Raymond, Richard, Ronald Yusuff, and Godwin and Victor Josiah—are self-taught filmmakers, refining their skills by studying online resources. Based in Kaduna, a city in northern Nigeria often referred to as “Crocodile City,” they face challenges unfamiliar to many filmmakers in more developed regions.

“They hardly have electricity,” Brettkelly notes. “Imagine if we were all on film sets and electricity was our biggest problem.”

The hurdles faced by The Critics are not solely infrastructural; cultural expectations also weigh heavily on their ambitions. As one member pointedly observed, pursuing a life in the arts is not a common aspiration among their peers. Brettkelly added, "Their parents want them to be doctors, lawyers; financial stability is what concerns them." Many members initially kept their film projects a secret from their families, often meeting discreetly to collaborate.

The opportunity to showcase their work at a prestigious festival like Berlin has the potential to shift familial perspectives. “Them going to Berlin is enormous,” Brettkelly stated, emphasizing that such recognition could validate their career choices in the eyes of their parents.

The pandemic forced a remote collaboration between Brettkelly and The Critics, relying on digital platforms for communication. Brettkelly recalled, “We’d Zoom or WhatsApp every Monday night. It created a beautiful intimacy from their own footage.” She noted the authenticity brought to the storytelling as the collective captured their own narratives.

A sense of urgency resonates in much of The Critics’ creative output. Brettkelly aimed to reflect this energy in Crocodile, focusing on the theme of "restlessness” that characterizes both their lives and their aspirations. “They were pushing against whatever isolations they may have—financial, cultural, geographic—and they were restless for a bigger creative life.”

The documentary also addresses personal dynamics within the group, including Godwin’s growing interest in a music career, which has shifted his focus away from filmmaking.

“It’s been a freaking tough film for me to make. The distance posed challenges, but the core relationship between Raymond and Godwin is a compelling story,” Brettkelly explained. She highlighted that the portrayal of young men’s friendships in film is significantly less explored compared to that of young women.

As The Critics work on their debut feature film, they face the additional challenge of preserving their identity and cultural roots amid growing recognition. “Raymond says, ‘There will always be our own scenery, our own Africanness will come through,’” Brettkelly reflected. She expressed hope that even as they potentially broaden their horizons, the collective will remain anchored to their origins and distinctive narrative voice.