The Milkmaid

The Milkmaid

The Milkmaid is a Nigerian film that tells the story of Zainab, a milkmaid from an ethnic minority who confronts religious extremists when she searches for her missing sister. Written and directed by Desmond Ovbiagele, it portrays the war against an organisation considered terrorist, responsible for the deaths of more than 37,000 people in Nigeria.

Despite dealing with a delicate subject, the film takes a gentle and entertaining approach, which makes it easier to understand the difficult situation of the victims of the insurgency, especially women and children, thus raising awareness and contributing to the ongoing efforts to eradicate extremism from society. Technically crafted to the highest international cinematic standards, it makes clear both the natural beauty – the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba State, for example – and the cultural richness of that country.

The Milkmaid portrays the war against an organisation considered terrorist, responsible for the deaths of more than 37,000 people in Nigeria

Film critics claim it is the best Nigerian film of recent years, which did not, however, prevent it from being censored by the authorities, resulting in several passages being cut. About 24 minutes were removed from the original film and, as a result, the feature was left without some of its most striking and powerful scenes.

The Milkmaid has taken part in several renowned film festivals and has won international awards. The original version was submitted for the Oscars, and was even shortlisted in the Best International Feature category. Although it made a remarkable run to the final stage of the competition, it ultimately did not win. It is an excellent film, hence our choice of it as the cinema recommendation in this 45th edition of Xonguila.