Onala Fatoba Releases ‘The Weight of Water’ to Spotlight Male Grief

Nigerian filmmaker Onala Fatoba has released a new short film, The Weight of Water, a project he said draws from personal loss and examines how boys and men are often expected to suppress grief.

Fatoba said the film is partly shaped by his experience after the death of his father, Femi Fatoba, when he was younger. He explained that the story focuses on how silence around pain can pass from one generation to another.

The short film follows Semiu, a 14-year-old boy raised in his father’s mechanic workshop. His father is portrayed as disciplined and emotionally restrained, teaching his son that endurance is a measure of strength and care.

After the father dies unexpectedly, Semiu returns quickly to routine work, with little room to process what has happened. The film uses that transition to show the pressure placed on young males to appear composed, even when they are grieving.

Fatoba said The Weight of Water is intended to open conversations about emotional health and challenge social expectations that prevent men from expressing pain.

He said male grief is frequently acknowledged only in private, while public behaviour is still shaped by the message to “be strong” and move on. According to him, the film asks what emotional cost follows when that message is left unchallenged.

Set in Lagos and framed through intimate scenes rather than dramatic confrontation, the production leans on everyday environments to show how grief can remain present in ordinary routines.

Fatoba said he hopes the film will be used in schools, youth spaces and community discussions where young men can speak more openly about loss.

He added that the project is also a tribute to his father and to families carrying unresolved grief across years.

By centring a teenage character, The Weight of Water places attention on early emotional conditioning and the long-term effects of silence. The filmmaker said his goal is not only to tell a personal story, but to invite wider reflection on how Nigerian society can support healthier emotional expression for boys and men.