Ime Ego is a 17-minute 2022 short documentary written and directed by Chioma Onyenwe. Set in southeastern Nigeria, it follows final-year student Mercy as her family and her fiancé’s family negotiate bride-price terms for a wedding in Orlu while her fiancé is in Dubai.
The film centers on the families’ effort to reach an agreement without causing offence and on Mercy’s hope of joining her husband. Its account of an “absentee marriage” is the director’s framing of this particular story, not a description of every Nigerian or Igbo marriage.
What is Ime Ego about?
Mercy is a final-year student at Imo State University in Owerri. As the families prepare for a ceremony in her ancestral village of Orlu, they negotiate the bride-price terms through a back-and-forth list of items. Her fiancé is in Dubai and will be absent from the wedding. The film follows the tension around reaching terms and the possibility that the outcome could affect Mercy’s hopes of traveling to begin a new life with her husband.
Writer and director Chioma Onyenwe connects the film to migration and what she calls “absentee marriage,” where only one partner is present for the ceremony and afterwards. The film focuses on Mercy and these families; it should not be taken as a universal account of marriage practices.
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Film details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Title | Ime Ego (also rendered as Ime Ego, The Bride Price) |
| Format and year | Short documentary, 2022 |
| Running time | 17 minutes |
| Written and directed by | Chioma Onyenwe |
| Production countries | Nigeria and South Africa |
| Languages | Igbo and English |
| Subtitles listed | English and French |
| International sales and distribution | STEPS (South Africa) |
Where can I watch Ime Ego?
The official Generation Africa film page lists STEPS as the film’s international sales and distribution contact. It does not confirm current streaming availability or viewing rights by territory, so check with the distributor or an authorized local source for current options.
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What does Ime Ego follow?
It follows Mercy and her two families as they negotiate bride-price terms for a wedding in Orlu while her fiancé is in Dubai.
Who made Ime Ego?
Chioma Onyenwe wrote and directed the short documentary.
How long is the film?
The official Generation Africa page lists a running time of 17 minutes.
Is Ime Ego the same as the feature film The Bride Price?
The sources distinguish Onyenwe’s documentary from a separately listed feature titled The Bride Price; they do not establish a connection between them.
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