EP 157: Unquestioned Truths with Director/Writer/Producer Ella Chikezie

Ella Chikezie steps into the director’s chair with In Her Shoes, a short film shaped by urgency and care. Known for her work on Christmas in Lagos and in the production trenches of Choke and Tokunbo, Chikezie makes her directorial debut. The project was awarded under the initiative Using Entertainment Media to Combat Gender Based Violence in Nigeria. For Chikezie, this film is personal. It is also political. It is a quiet declaration of intent. 

The story follows Halima, a young autistic Muslim girl who finds freedom on a football pitch. At home and at school, she is misunderstood. Her joy is dismissed as unfeminine. Her difference is treated as a burden. As financial pressure and social expectations close in, Halima’s mother considers an arranged marriage as an escape. Her father, shaken by his daughter’s moments of joy, must choose between tradition and tenderness. One choice could change everything. 

In Her Shoes joins a strong lineage of African films that confront painful truths with purpose. Like Dazzling Mirage, The Lucky Specials, and Nawi: Dear Future Me, the film treats cinema as a tool for awareness. It addresses autism, child marriage, bullying, and gender bias without preaching. Screened at the 2025 Lagos Fringe Festival, the film announces itself with restraint and confidence. Darasimi Nadi delivers a performance of striking honesty, allowing silence and gesture to speak where words cannot. 

Chikezie directs with clarity and resolve. The film trusts its audience. It builds to an ending that lingers, not because it shouts, but because it refuses to look away. A girl runs. A ball rolls forward. The noise follows. In Her Shoes reminds us that change is rarely polite, often uncomfortable, and always necessary. This episode of Visual Intonation Podcast explores how one filmmaker uses story to insist on dignity, visibility, and hope. 

Ella Chikezie's Filmography: imdb.com/name/nm13215349