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Nollywood veteran Joke Silva and award-winning filmmaker Joel Kachi Benson have joined forces to bring audiences a deeply emotional and socially significant documentary titled Mothers of Chibok. The feature-length project shifts attention from the globally known story of the abducted schoolgirls to the enduring pain, strength, and resilience of the women who have spent over a decade fighting for their daughters.
The documentary, scheduled for a cinema release in Nigeria and Ghana on February 27, offers a powerful human perspective on one of the most tragic events in Nigeria’s recent history. Rather than revisiting the horror of the 2014 abduction, the film explores the lives of the mothers left behind, illuminating their everyday battles, quiet sacrifices, and unwavering determination.
Revisiting A National Tragedy Through A Different Lens
In April 2014, the world was shaken when Boko Haram insurgents attacked the Government Girls’ Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, abducting 276 schoolgirls from their dormitories. The incident triggered global outrage and sparked the viral #BringBackOurGirls campaign, drawing international attention and political pressure.
More than ten years later, although several of the girls have been rescued or released, many are still unaccounted for. While public attention has largely faded, the families — especially the mothers — continue to live with the devastating impact of that night.
Mothers of Chibok deliberately avoids retelling the attack itself. Instead, it journeys into the heart of the Chibok community to document the daily realities of the women who have endured unimaginable loss. The film reveals how these mothers work tirelessly on their farms, cultivating the land under persistent security threats, to generate income and ensure that their remaining children receive an education.
Their lives, shaped by grief, fear, and economic hardship, are also marked by extraordinary resilience, courage, and solidarity.
Joke Silva On Why The Story Must Be Told
Serving as executive producer alongside Benson, Joke Silva explained that the project resonated deeply with her after she encountered the raw stories behind the headlines.
“After watching, I realised that we don’t often think about these women. We don’t understand what their journey has been,” she said.
Silva praised Benson’s storytelling approach, describing the documentary as both moving and necessary.
“What Kachi has done with this film is amazing. I couldn’t be more thrilled to support a filmmaker like Kachi, whose record of the endurance, resistance and resilience of the Mothers Of Chibok will make it harder for future generations to forget what happened to the girls and their families in 2014 and what continues to happen to them now.”
For Silva, the film represents an urgent reminder that the story of Chibok did not end with global protests, but continues daily in the lives of grieving families.
Joel Kachi Benson’s Continued Commitment To The Chibok Story
For Joel Kachi Benson, Mothers of Chibok is not just another project, but a continuation of his long-term commitment to documenting the aftermath of the tragedy. In 2019, he released the acclaimed virtual reality documentary Daughters of Chibok, which premiered at the prestigious Venice International Film Festival and brought global attention to the survivors.
With Mothers of Chibok, Benson shifts focus to those who bore the deepest emotional wounds.
“We think we know the women of Chibok because we know their tragedy. But that tragedy is just one part of their story, the one the world is quick to see. One cannot know the mothers of Chibok until you truly know the depth of their strength and resilience,” he said.
The filmmaker describes the documentary as a tribute to courage, perseverance, and unyielding hope, capturing how these women rebuild their lives amid persistent uncertainty and trauma.
International Recognition And Award Wins
Even before its Nigerian cinema release, Mothers of Chibok has already made an impressive impact on the global festival circuit. The documentary premiered at DOCNYC, one of the world’s leading documentary film festivals, and has since been screened at over 50 international festivals.
Its powerful storytelling recently earned it the Encounters Al Jazeera ‘Best African Feature-Length Documentary’ award at South Africa’s Encounters Film Festival, further cementing its critical acclaim.
The film’s success builds upon Benson’s remarkable milestone in 2025, when he became the first Nigerian to win a documentary Emmy Award for his debut feature film Madu. That historic achievement helped spotlight Nigerian documentary filmmaking on the global stage.
A Strong Production Team Behind The Film
Mothers of Chibok is produced by JB Multimedia Studios, Hunting Lane, and Impact Partners, in collaboration with Shark Island Productions. The producing team includes Jamie Patricof, Rachel Halilej, Katie McNeill, Samira Mohammad, and Adeyinka Oduniyi.
Silva is joined on the executive producing team by several renowned industry figures, including Ian Darling, Adam and Melony Lewis, and Geralyn White Dreyfous, among others. This robust collaboration reflects the international importance and emotional weight of the project.
Anticipated West African Cinema Release
Nigerian and Ghanaian audiences will finally have the opportunity to experience the documentary on the big screen when it premieres in cinemas on February 27. FilmOne Distribution is handling its regional theatrical rollout.
Victoria Ogar, FilmOne’s head of distribution, expressed confidence in the growing appetite for documentary storytelling in West Africa.
“There is a growing audience for documentary storytelling in West Africa, and we’re excited for them to discover Kachi’s beautiful film, which deserves to be seen in a theatrical environment,” she said.
A Film That Preserves Memory And Inspires Reflection
Beyond awards and box-office prospects, Mothers of Chibok stands as a vital cultural and historical document. It ensures that the stories of these women — their pain, strength, and resilience — are neither forgotten nor overlooked.
By placing the mothers at the center, the documentary reframes the Chibok tragedy, offering a profound meditation on grief, endurance, and the quiet heroism of women who continue to hope against all odds.
Watch trailer below…
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