Oyakhire’s Visions Film Society Expands Access to Global South Cinema

Nigerian lawyer-turned-filmmaker Olohije Oyakhire has unveiled Visions, a new film society dedicated to screening and discussing works by and about Africans and Latin Americans.

The society officially launches on November 15 at Alliance Française Port Harcourt under the theme Narratives of Journeys, presented in collaboration with Art in the Garden City and Alliance Française Port Harcourt.

“There are far too many African and Latin American films people have not heard of, let alone seen,” Oyakhire said. “If Visions can get even one person to watch and discuss these stories, that’s a win. Having the first screening in Port Harcourt is significant—it’s been home for nearly two decades.”

Positioned outside Lagos’ dominant film circuit, Visions aims to broaden access to Global South cinema and foster community conversations around migration, identity, and everyday life.

The opening lineup features two films centered on movement: Tomisin Adepeju’s Journey Mercies, a festival-traveled short about a worker’s final day on the job, and Rosine Mbakam’s Chez Jolie Coiffure (2018), a documentary capturing African migrant life in Brussels from inside a Cameroonian hair salon. The latter has screened at FESPACO, NYAFF, and AFI festivals.

Before launching Visions, Oyakhire earned a Law degree from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2021. She later trained at the London Film Academy and directed Game Night (2023), which screened at three festivals. She also served as First Assistant Director on Best Laid Plans (2023), Intrusive Thoughts (2024), and The Shift (2024).