Lady

Opening Film - Nordic Premiere 

Monday 7.9. at 19.30 Tent 
Wednesday 9.9. at 21.00, Alō 

Fiction, 2026, UK, Nigeria

Director and Screenwriter: Olive Nwosu
Duration: 1h 33 min
Themes: Lagos, friendship, sex work
Language: English, Nigerian Pidgin; subtitles not announced
Age rating: 12

The opening film of Karhupuisto Film Festival takes us to Lagos, Nigeria's gigantic city of up to twenty million inhabitants. Its dusty streets are navigated by Lady, one of the city's only female taxi drivers.

Lady, who has built a tough exterior around herself, is saving money to shake off the dust of the metropolis for good. Her old friend Pinky re-enters her life as a sex worker and tempts Lady to drive her group of friends, who are involved in the industry. Her suspicions fade as Lady sees herself and her past in a new light.

Director Olive Nwosu has called Lagos a city of blinding sun and deep shadows. The film Lady was born from Nwosu's desire, having studied in New York and now living in London, to find a new connection to her childhood hometown. The director prepared for the film by walking through Lagos for months and talking with real sex workers.

Despite Nigerian Jessica Gabriel's Ujah's magnificent lead role, Lady is above all a prominent ensemble film. The cast, made up of fresh newcomers, received a joint award at Sundance, where the film had its world premiere in January.

Other crew details: 

Starring: Jessica Gabriel’s Ujah, Amanda Oruh, Tinuade Jemiseye, Binta Ayo Mogaji, Seun Kuti, Bucci Franklin
Cinematography: Alana Mejia Gonzalez
Production Design: Richard Evans
Costume Design: Patience Adaugo Ezeogo
Make-up and Hair Design: Amarachi Joan Akalazu
Editing: Colin Monie, Gareth C Scales
Producers: Alex Polunin, John Giwa-Amu, Stella Nwimo
Production Companies: Osian International, Good Gate