Blessing Bulus, a debut documentary director, has shared the inspiration, lessons, challenges, and future plans behind her film Mi Tazi, which is set to screen at FIPADOC in France alongside Joel Kachi Benson’s Mothers of Chibok.
Speaking with The Nollywood Reporter in an exclusive interview, Bulus described the documentary as a personal exploration of memory, Nok culture, and storytelling as tools for preservation and healing through art.
“It follows my personal journey of using clay and sculpture to reconnect with my late father, Bulus Daji, preserving a relationship that exists mostly in my memory, while also learning about my identity as a descendant of Ham from Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria,” she said.
The film, which was selected as part of the StoryMi 2025 Documentary Film Fellowship, was deeply affirming for the filmmaker.
“I knew I had a good story, but being selected as one of the five fellows for the 2025 fellowship and being supported by StoryMi Academy and the French Embassy in Nigeria made me feel truly seen and backed,” Bulus said.
As a debut director, she said the fellowship experience also boosted her confidence and reaffirmed the value of personal storytelling. The initial idea for the project came from a desire to document her people’s history in Nok, a culture she said is not often spoken about.
However, during story workshops and mentorship sessions with her mentor, Kachi Benson, the focus of the film became clearer.
“It stemmed from my personal loss and the fear of forgetting,” she said. “A few years after my father passed away, I realised how fragile memories can be, especially when there are very few physical traces left. Learning sculpture gave me a way to engage with grief differently.”
Bulus said one of the most important lessons she learned during production was trusting her own perspective. She noted that navigating multiple roles as director, producer, and subject while on location was particularly challenging.
“For all my years in the industry, I had always been behind the scenes, so stepping into the story myself and being in front of the camera was unfamiliar and demanding,” she said.
As the short documentary prepares for its global premiere at the FIPADOC International Documentary Film Festival, Bulus said she is most excited about engaging audiences who are open to reflective and personal storytelling.
“My expectation is not just visibility, but dialogue, conversations around personal documentaries, memory, and how filmmakers from different backgrounds approach storytelling,” she said.
For Bulus, Mi Tazi is important because it speaks to the silent grief many people carry, particularly in societies where emotional expression is often discouraged. She said she hopes the film opens conversations around remembrance, healing, and the role of art as a means of survival, not just expression.
“In the long run, I hope the film lives beyond festivals through screenings, conversations, and educational spaces,” she said. “I see it as a foundation for future work that explores memory, identity, and art as a vessel for personal and collective history.”