In an unspecified future, the king of a Nigerian village has passed away. The elders of the village converge to find a new leader to succeed. The visions reveal a new figure: a young man living an unassuming life in South London. Meanwhile, Ayo is mired in the ups and downs of life in England, struggling for meaning, purpose and belonging. But he begins to hear drums and experience visions, pulling him to a greater fate than the ordinary life he's living at the moment. Directed and written by Femi Oladigbolu, this elegantly distinctive sci-fi/fantasy short is striking for its blend of gritty urban naturalism, striking Afrofuturist aesthetic and an ambitious, time- and space-spanning narrative about inheritance, ancestry and self-worth. Enfolded in the search for a royal successor is a deeper tale about a young man's spiritual awakening to his fate, a journey that immerses him in a realm of African mythology, deities and heritage. The narrative propulsion is achieved through a gorgeous weaving of sight, sound and music, opening with a riveting, visually stunning sequence of a king dying and elders converging, set to the sounds of a vocal requiem and viscerally immersing viewers into a realm of magic and mysticism. In its indelible, haunting images, it's not unlike the world-building of modern sci-fi blockbusters like Dune or Black Panther, rich with otherworldly detail and an almost alien grandeur and conveyed with costumes, visuals and rituals reflecting the Yoruba religion. It's in marked contrast to the next sequence, where we meet the man that the elders envisioned.
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Played by actor Samuel Adewunmi with world-weary existential exhaustion, Ayo has no idea of what awaits him, as preoccupied as he is with the struggles he faces. Yet the borders between his world and the more mystical realm grow porous, and hints of another world and fate call out to him. At first uncertain and disbelieving, Ayo is pulled into his visions, discovering the power, richness and majesty of his old ancestry and new inheritance. Memorable, powerful and bold, OBA is a feast for the senses, where much of the storytelling and emotional development happens through the alchemy of music, rhythm, totemic images and human and camera movement. Taken at its dazzling surface level, it's about a man glimpsing his ultimate destiny. But it also works beautifully on a metaphorical level, as someone mired in contemporary struggles gains deeper meaning and purpose through connecting with aspects of his heritage, endowing his sense of self with an expansiveness and possibility that his real-life circumstances offer. This is just the beginning of Ayo's journey, as he steps into his power and embraces his future.
