Directed by Nneka Onuorah and Giselle Bailey, the documentary The Legend of the Underground premiering at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and debuting Tuesday, June 29 on HBO, is a searing and timely look at the struggle against rampant discrimination in Nigeria today.
In 2013, Nigeria enacted the anti-LGBTQ law- the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill (SSMPA), and in the years since, it has been used to harass, imprison, extort and commit violence against anyone seen as not conforming to Nigerian societal and cultural norms.
In August of 2018, 57 men who were attending a party in Lagos, Nigeria were rounded up by police, arrested and forced in front of news cameras. One of the men, James, shocked the country when he defiantly spoke out against the government while still in handcuffs, in a moment that went viral. James turned the moment into an opportunity to amplify his voice and shine a light on the oppression many in Nigeria are forced to grapple with on a daily basis.
On the other side of the globe in New York, Micheal Ighodaro is living with his friends who are part of the Nigerian diaspora and settling into his new life as an LGBTQ rights and HIV prevention advocate, having left his community in Nigeria after having been attacked for his identity. As Micheal works to advocate for the people and communities he left behind, James and his circle of friends struggle with the option to either search for a safe haven abroad, or to stay and fight a system that seeks to silence them.
As Onuorah and Bailey’s cameras follow these tight-knit groups of chosen families, an inspiring portrait emerges of a new generation that uses social media, underground radio, and any other resources at their disposal to fight for their rights of personal expression. Through bold creativity they work to spark a cultural revolution that would challenge the ideals of gender, conformity, and civil rights in Nigeria. The Legend of the Underground is a timely look at a vibrant and resilient community that continues to fight state-endorsed discrimination in Nigeria while celebrating who they are.