Directed by Nneka Onuorah and Giselle Bailey, The Legend of the Underground, which premieres today on HBO and HBO Max, delves into Nigeria’s underground youth culture scene and examines how people there are fighting for the right of self-expression.
The 90-minute film begins with disturbing scenes of a 2018 police raid and the subsequent arrest of 57 men. They had been accused of celebrating a same-sex marriage, which is punishable by up to 5 years under the country’s Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act (homosexuality itself is punishable by up to 14 years).
“The definition of a gay is when you’re caught having sexual intercourse with a guy,” James Brown, a dancer whose iconic video went viral, told a reporter. “And they didn’t caught me. Did they caught me?”
Beyond the light that was made of the scene, the rest of the film attempts to grapple with the devastating ripple effects of the event and how it tore a community apart. Part of the film takes place in New York, where Micheal Ighodaro, an LGBTQ rights activist who fled Nigeria after a homophobic attack, tries to bring attention to the situation in his home country. Through it all, the viewer is invited into a loving community of creatives, activists and artists who are committed to living authentic lives— even when the price could be life itself.
Overall, The Legend of the Underground is heart-wrenching and essential viewing, considering that the situation in Nigeria has only worsened since anti-police brutality protests last year. Although the narrative feels a bit disjointed, the film nonetheless paints a comprehensive picture of growing queer-phobia in Nigeria and also endears viewers to a group of young people who are otherwise pushed underground, out of sight and out of mind.
It is also a sobering reminder of what we may have forgotten here in the U.S.: that it is the police state that enforces the violence of homophobic societies. In countries all around the world, little Stonewalls— and their heroes— are birthed every single day.
Watch the trailer below:
