The Supreme Price is a new documentary that follows the evolution of the Pro-Democracy Movement in Nigeria and the push to increase female involvement in leadership roles. Director Joanna Lipper follows the daughter, Hafsat Abiola, of former president M.K.O Abiola and Kudirat Abiola. Shortly after her father was elected in 1993, he was imprisoned. Her mother took over leadership of the pro-democracy movement, organized strikes, marches, and gained national attention for the Nigerian struggle. Kudirat was severely stalked and pestered and was assassinated by agents of the military in 1996. This led Hafsat Abiola to give up her exile, along with her Harvard graduation, to revisit the struggle of her country. Two year later, her father M.K.O. mysteriously died in prison.
Lipper weaves together the past and present of the Nigerian struggle through the eyes of Hafsat Abiola, and the still occurring movement to empower women and dismantle the patriarchal structure of Nigerian society. Africa’s most populated nation is revealed as being violent and corrupt where a tiny circle of political elites hoard the billions of dollars in oil revenue while the people remain impoverished. Her family’s and society’s story is important and will not end with tragedy.
Lipper says of Hafsat in an interview with the Film Society of Lincoln Center that, “When Hafsat stood up and told her family’s tragic story, I was impressed by the way she channeled her rage and mourning into determination, tenacity, and activism, calling upon knowledge, integrity, courage, and persistence to oppose corruption and senseless violence. Instead of being a victim of circumstances, Hafsat became an agent of change.”
The goal is to not only honor and bring awareness to her mother’s legacy, but to educate and empower women in Nigeria to be engaged in politics and leadership roles.
From Oct. 3 to 10 there will be screenings of The Supreme Price in NYC at Quad Cinema, an in LA at Laemmle Music Hall. This Sunday, Oct. 5, in NYC, Lipper will be in attendance for a 5:10 and 7:20 showing of the film, and for a Q&A.
Watch the trailer below!
Photos via Joanna Lipper.
