In her new fashion fantasy short film, Thicker Than Water, filmmaker Wami Aluko explores the relationship between the mundane and the magical. Thicker Than Water is part of Gal-Dem’s Shorties series, which spotlights “films with bold ideas and fresh perspectives via an exciting new generation of filmmakers.”
The film, which serves up visual treat after visual treat in its three-minute runtime, follows the three Digiola sisters, who inherit their parent’s fortune after a devastating (and mysterious) mansion fire in Ilesha. The fire, which the sisters just happen to escape, is both a destructive force and a clarifying one: bringing the girls closer and teaching them about the strength and power of familial bonds.
Speaking to Gal-Dem about her work, Aluko stated that “the Digiola’s really only had each other, forcing them to build such a strong familial bond. The saying, ‘blood is thicker than water’ was embedded in the sister’s heads by their late mother who taught them to always stick together”.
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Whether this lesson isolates them from the world or protects them from it is up to the viewer to decide, though the cinematography makes a case for both interpretations. The sisters are rarely presented on-screen alone, preferring to huddle together, not unlike three strands in a tightly wound braid. They make silent eye contact with the viewer, part-distrustful of the outside gaze and part-daring, as if they know that we couldn’t hurt them even if we wanted to. After all, the girls do come from “a bloodline of incredibly masterful witches and spiritual practitioners”.
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This ancestral worship is presented with a lot of care, scenes of the girls lighting candles providing short glimpses of warmth in what is otherwise a cold and slightly uninviting landscape. When the girls are not communing with their ancestors they are almost swallowed up by the too-big yard, the empty pool. Their wealth affords them a certain level of material comfort, but it does not provide the girls with the emotional intimacy of communicating with their ancestors.
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According to Wami, this exploration of the “magic of the mundane” is an important piece of her work. She also has a talent for capturing the way Nigerian youth navigate traditional culture with modern sensibilities, as shown in her 2018 documentary For Those Who Listen. She has also exhibited works in Edinburgh, London and Lagos.
The actresses that play the three sisters also play integral roles in the production and aesthetic of the film: creative director Momo Hassan-Odukale (who also styled the film), Ifeoma Nwobu (a writer, model and YouTuber) and Nneamaka Chukwuemeka. The work of makeup artist Ayopo Abiri also shines in the film, with pops of color and geometric shapes adding to the dreamy feeling of the film.
