‘Clarissa’ Review: Sophie Okonedo and Ayo Edebiri in a Sharp and Stirring Nigeria-Set Take on ‘Mrs. Dalloway’
'Clarissa' is a reimagining of Virginia Woolf's 'Mrs. Dalloway' set in present-day Lagos, Nigeria, following a society woman navigating personal memories and urban life. Directed by Arie and Chuko Esiri, the film adapts the novel’s stream-of-consciousness style with poetic visuals and a fragmented narrative. Sophie Okonedo stars as Clarissa, alongside Ayo Edebiri and David Oyelowo, in a quiet, introspective film that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival's Directors’ Fortnight.
- ▪'Clarissa' transposes the setting of 'Mrs. Dalloway' from 1920s London to contemporary Lagos, Nigeria.
- ▪Sophie Okonedo plays the lead role of Clarissa, a Nigerian society woman reflecting on her youth and current life.
- ▪Fortune Nwafor portrays Septimus, a military veteran struggling with trauma from fighting Boko Haram.
- ▪The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in the Directors’ Fortnight section and was shot on 35mm film.
- ▪Chuko Esiri wrote the screenplay, while both he and his brother Arie directed the film.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
'Clarissa' Courtesy of Neon Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment With its stream-of-consciousness style and fragmented perspectives, Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway is a beguiling novel with understandably few adaptations. Marleen Gorris tried with her shaky 1997 film starring Vanessa Redgrave as the titular protagonist and Rupert Graves as the tragic Septimus. A film inspired by a book inspired by Woolf (Michael Cunningham’s The Hours) followed, and a handful of stage adaptations came and went.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Hollywood Reporter.
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