Draft:Water & Garri (film)

Water & Garri is a 2024 Nigerian movie starring singer/songwriter Tiwa Savage is her debut starring role, alongside Andrew Yaw-Bunting, Jemima Osunde, and Mike Afolarin. Released on Amazon Prime Video and inspired by her album of the same name, Water & Gari follows the life of a young woman who returns home after a bereavement, and meets a community much different from what she left behind.

Plot
Aisha (Tiwa Savage)—an American-based fashion designer—receives a call from her friend Stephany (Jemima Osunde) that a relative has died. She returns to Eastside, her native home, in support of her friend after ten years away, and soon discovers that her once idillyc hometown has changed beyond recognition, with violence escalating and tensions running high. Her ex-boyfriend, Kay, (Andrew Yaw-Bunting) is now head of a local gang, and although sparks fly, his relationship with Aisha is threatened by his new persona.

Production
According to Savage, the idea for Water & Garri was conceived while drunk, and claimed that acting, rather than music, was her first love. Filmed in Ghana, the movie is Meji Abaji's directorial debut.

Reviews
Reviews for Water & Garri were mostly negative. Premium Times praised the cinematography but described the film as "[Struggling] to translate the EP's brilliance onto the screen. It lacks the narrative depth and emotional resonance needed to captivate viewers truly," while stating that Savage lacked the depth and finesse her character demanded.