A film has been screened in Lagos, Nigeria as part of activities to mark the 10th anniversary of a largely forgotten tragedy by members of Chibok community after Boko Haram bandits kidnapped over 200 school girls in a boarding school in Chibok, Borno state.
The film titled: “Statues Also Breathe,” was produced by French artist Prune Nourry and Nigeria’s Obafemi Awolowo University.
The Chibok kidnapping was the first major school abduction in the West African nation. Since then, at least 1,400 students have been kidnapped, especially in the conflict-battered northwest and central regions.
Most victims were freed only after ransoms were paid or through government-backed deals, but the suspects rarely get arrested.
Plight of girls' education
“This collaboration aims to raise awareness about the plight of the girls who are still missing while highlighting the global struggle for girls’ education,” Nourry said.
The 17-minute film opens with an aerial view of 108 sculptures — the number of girls ls still missing when the art project began — that try to recreate what the girls look like today using pictures provided by their families, from their facial expressions to hairstyles and visible patterns.
The film captures the artistic process behind the art exhibit, first displayed in November 2022, featuring human head-sized sculptures inspired by ancient Nigerian Ife terracotta heads.
Analysts worry that the security lapses that resulted in the Chibok kidnapping remain in place in many schools across the region.
➤Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.
