Daniel Obasi's 'Water, Get Enemy?' Centers Lagos Surf Community at Tarkwa Bay
In "Water, Get Enemy?", director Daniel Obasi explores the lives of young surfers at Tarkwa Bay, Lagos, portraying the ocean as a sanctuary and a medium for self-expression. The film juxtaposes personal narratives with visuals of the bustling city, illustrating Tarkwa Bay as a place of belonging. Obasi seeks to redefine Western perceptions of surf culture by focusing on West Africa and highlighting the distinct youth culture of Lagos. Through low-angle shots, the surfers' physicality and uniqueness are accentuated. The ocean represents an escape from the stresses of Lagos, as surfers share their struggles with family expectations while celebrating personal freedom. Obasi underscores themes of community and connection, contrasting Tarkwa Bay's seclusion with the surrounding metropolis, framing the project as a journey into identity and liberation in Lagos.
Key facts
- 'Water, Get Enemy?' is a short film directed by Daniel Obasi.
- It follows a community of young surfers who grew up around the waters of Tarkwa Bay, on the edge of Lagos where the city meets the Atlantic.
- The film presents Tarkwa Bay as both an escape from Lagos's pressures and a space for self-expression, friendship, and belonging.
- Obasi told C41 he wanted to center West Africa and show Lagos as a place with its own youth culture, freedom, and pleasure, countering Western-framed surf culture.
- Low-angle shots turn the surfers into almost statuesque silhouettes against Tarkwa Bay's skies, giving them presence and scale while keeping their individuality and style visible.
- Through voice-overs, the ocean emerges as a place to decompress from the anxiety and depression that can accompany life in Lagos.
- Some surfers speak about their families' disapproval of the sport while describing surfing as an essential expression of personal freedom.
- Obasi sees the film as part of a wider exploration of young people, identity, freedom, and the ways Lagos shapes self-perception, and he intends to keep developing those ideas through film.
Entities
Artists
- Daniel Obasi
- Gaia V. Marraffa
Institutions
- C41
Locations
- Lagos
- Nigeria
- Tarkwa Bay
- West Africa
- Atlantic Ocean
- California