From the Agbajowo Collective, The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos is an insightful look at the lives of people forcefully evicted from their homes in the ‘slums’ of Lagos. Main character, Jawu (played by Temi Ami-Williams), is trying to get by living in the floating slums of Lagos which are under threat of demolition by the government. When she comes into some money, she finds herself in the midst of some of the enforcers of this new law. As she forms new connections, she fights to defend the place she calls home.
The demolition of the ‘slums’ is not anything new to me, being from Lagos, but even though there has always been the fleeting thought of “where will they go?”, seeing this story on the screen allowed the thought to actually take root in my mind, and hopefully in the minds of all that see it. The Agbajowo Collective, many of whom note that they were just experimenting with cameras and storytelling when they birthed this film, capture an experience close to them and give us the chance to step into the shoes of people like Jawu.
The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos shines a light on people who are usually overlooked in our societies, and asks us who is truly served by certain forms of development and how they are carried out.
The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos is playing at TIFF ’24. For more information, click here.
