“Statues Also Breathe” film, marking the 10th anniversary of the Chibok abduction tragedy in Borno State, where schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram militants in 2014, has been released.
The film is a collaborative project by French artist Prune Nourry and Nigeria’s Obafemi Awolowo University.
Nourry explains the collaboration’s aim: to shed light on the plight of the missing girls while advocating for global support for girls’ education.
The film features 108 sculptures, representing the number of girls still missing when the project began. These sculptures attempt to envision the missing girls as they might look today, based on family-provided photographs, capturing their expressions, hairstyles, and unique features.
Within the film, freed captives recount their harrowing experiences, describing beatings and suffering, yet also resilience and strength through faith.
Heartbroken mothers share their memories, their voices filled with longing for the daughters who haven’t returned home in a decade.
The film exposes the rawness of grief, with one mother expressing hesitation to confront her daughter’s sculpted face, fearing the resurgence of painful memories.
Critics, including activist Chioma Agwuegbo, condemn the government’s inadequate response, highlighting the failure to secure the release of remaining captives and the lack of support for those who have returned.
Security analysts warn of ongoing vulnerabilities in schools, with many lacking basic safety measures. Despite sporadic updates, authorities provide little reassurance regarding efforts to free the remaining captives.
Tragically, some freed captives reveal that those still missing may have been forcibly married to their captors, a fate all too common for abducted women.
As the film draws to a close, the voices of Chibok mothers echo sentiments of resignation, grappling with the painful reality that their daughters may never return.
A decade on, the scars of the Chibok kidnapping continue to haunt Nigeria, serving as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle for security, justice, and the right to education.
