Filmmaker Statement

Shot on 16mm film, 'Employee of The Month' is a short film I wrote, directed, and produced following the Nigerian government's heavy-handed response to peaceful protests against police brutality. I wish to shed light on the atrocities committed by a repressive government. Ostensibly, the film is about the wanton killing of citizens fighting for their civil rights, but the true subject of the story is the inequitable and fleeting nature of human existence, even for those who play by the rules. The title of the film is a deliberate choice because the Nigerian President at the time of the protests infamously blamed the youth for the country's high unemployment, claiming they were "lazy youth". This could not be farther from the truth. The average Nigerian is resourceful, resilient, and hard working. The youth are no different.