{"id":159206,"date":"2022-01-25T08:44:05","date_gmt":"2022-01-25T13:44:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/?p=159206"},"modified":"2022-01-31T10:58:01","modified_gmt":"2022-01-31T15:58:01","slug":"sundance-2022-review-nikyatu-jusus-nanny-starring-anna-diop-sinqua-walls-leslie-uggams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/sundance-2022-review-nikyatu-jusus-nanny-starring-anna-diop-sinqua-walls-leslie-uggams\/","title":{"rendered":"Sundance 2022 Review: Nikyatu Jusu\u2019s \u201cNanny\u201d Starring Anna Diop, Sinqua Walls, Leslie Uggams"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Winner, U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Aisha (Anna Diop<\/strong>) is a captivating protagonist with a quiet force and a mighty presence \u2014 an energy instantly recognized at the start of \u201cNanny\u201d<\/strong> when the camera zooms in on Aisha’s sleeping face\u00a0(a majestic display of skin tone juxtaposed against a white background); a spider crawls on the left side of her cheek and she wakes up startled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aisha, an undocumented Senegalese immigrant, lands a job as a nanny of a wealthy Manhattan couple. While she easily wins the affection of their young daughter Rose (Rose Decker<\/strong>), she becomes a pawn in the couple\u2019s facade of a marriage. Amy (Michelle Monaghan<\/strong>), the mother, is as controlling as the dad (Morgan Spector<\/strong>) is disillusioned and woke. Haunted by the absence of the young son she left behind in Senegal, Aisha hopes her new job will afford her the chance to bring him to the U.S. and share in the life she is piecing together. But as his arrival approaches, a supernatural presence begins to invade both her dreams and her reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The line of demarcation between Aisha and Amy is defined early on, but it doesn\u2019t take long for boundaries to be challenged by the latter\u2019s audacity and privilege. It is within this complex space that the impetus of the film becomes clear: both women are sacrificing and surviving under distinguishable circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writer-director Nikyatu Jusu\u2019s<\/strong> personal connection to the story comes alive not only in the narrative but also in the visual language. Brilliantly conveyed are the colors, textures, shadows and depth used to set the tone in Aisha\u2019s layered world, which is diametrically opposed to Amy\u2019s. They tell their own story, which contributes to heightening the viewer\u2019s senses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as stunning are the supernatural-horror elements from West African folktales that help guide Aisha into herself: Anansi the Spider<\/em>, a character associated with skill and wisdom who triumphs over larger and more powerful adversaries; Mami Wata<\/em> (Mother Water), a water spirit depicted as a mermaid that embodies sexuality, money and fertility. The element of water is perhaps the most symbolic in \u201cNanny\u201d and is eloquently utilized to sway the plot into two interconnecting thresholds<\/em>: the present and past. All three play an integral role in moving the film forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The one reprieve from Aisha\u2019s ambivalent reality is Malik (Sinqua Walls<\/strong>), the handsome and endearing doorman whose introduction alludes to a hopeful future. The two embark on a picturesque romance worthy of its own feature film (ala \u2018Really Love\u2019 by Angel Kristi Williams). Aisha\u2019s viewpoint shifts when she meets Malik\u2019s grandmother Kathleen (Leslie Uggams<\/strong>), a clairvoyant, for the first time. Kathleen offers Aisha a trio of healing teas to choose from (ginger, hibiscus, turmeric) before sensing that something is awry in her life and asks, \u201cHow do you use your rage?\u201d \u201cIs it your superpower or your Kryptonite?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the heart of \u201cNanny\u201d is a story about womanhood and parenthood all of which invite introspection from marginalized characters in the lives of women with more money, resources and access. Nikyatu Jusu\u2019s ambient feature debut sheds a vibrant and poignant light on a rarely scene perspective of undocumented immigrants who work in America to support their families back home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNanny is a dark but hopeful love letter for mothers who have been systematically excluded from the American dream.\u201d ~ Nikyatu Jasu<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MEET THE ARTIST<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Writer-director Nikyatu Jusu\u2019s short film Suicide By Sunlight, a TFI\/Chanel Through Her Lens grant recipient, premiered at Sundance<\/a> in 2019. Nanny, her feature debut, was selected for the 2019 IFP Project Forum, the 2020 Sundance Directors and Screenwriters Labs and Creative Capital Award, and made the Black List. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jusu is also an assistant professor teaching fiction directing and screenwriting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CREDITS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n