The Milkmaid

When insurgents attack a wedding party and abduct a group of villagers in north-eastern Nigeria, a young milkmaid tries to rescue her sister, and is shocked by what she finds.

Aisha’s younger sister, Zainab, is getting married. But when insurgents spring a violent attack on the wedding party, taking a group of hostages with them, any dreams of a happy future are dashed. Taken to the outskirts of a remote town and forced into marriage, Aisha is shaken by her sister’s wavering loyalties and faces a profound struggle to reclaim the innocence of the past.

Selected as the Nigerian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2021 Academy Awards, Desmond Ovbiagele’s second feature is a profoundly moving story that shines a spotlight on the female experience of war and radicalism.