Filmmaker Precious Asuai says his interest in documentaries comes from a belief that reality often holds more compelling narratives than fiction.
Asuai, known for his AFRIFF-selected film Something Special (2022), explains that while fiction involves building imagined worlds, documentaries require uncovering existing ones.
“With fiction, the director known for his AFRIFF selected film Something Special (2022), posits that filmmakers are creating a world. However, with documentaries, they are uncovering one that already exists.”
Speaking with The Nollywood Reporter (TNR), he notes that his attraction to documentary filmmaking lies in engaging with real people and their lived experiences.
“There is something powerful about meeting real people, hearing their experiences, and helping audiences see things they may never have noticed before. That’s something I find meaningful as a storyteller.”
Asuai also reflects on his recent documentary project centred on Lagos’ Mile 12 market, describing it as an attempt to understand a place widely known but rarely examined closely.
“Every day, millions of people eat food that has passed through Mile 12 in one way or another, yet the people and systems behind that process are often invisible,” he adds.
He explains that the documentary highlights the human network behind the market, including traders, loaders and transporters who sustain food distribution across Lagos.“It’s a place many of us benefit from every day without really knowing how it works.”
According to him, the project came through GTCO, and the subject immediately resonated due to his personal familiarity with the area.
Asuai recalls that while living in Ikorodu, Mile 12 was a location he frequently passed but never fully understood.
One of the most common misconceptions about the market, he says, is that it is simply chaotic and overcrowded.
While acknowledging its intensity, he notes that time spent within the space revealed a more structured system beneath the surface.“It’s a highly active ecosystem with thousands of people working together every day to move huge volumes of food across Lagos and beyond.”
He also highlights the diversity within the market, noting the presence of traders from different parts of Nigeria who communicate across languages, particularly Yoruba and Hausa.“I felt it was important to reflect that reality in the documentary because it’s a space where people come together despite their differences to make sure Lagos gets fed every day. That’s also what the documentary shows,” he shares.
For Asuai, the goal of the film is simple: to shift perception from passive awareness of Mile 12 to a deeper understanding of the human systems within it.
