Finding and Cutting the Rhythm of Lagos: Martini Akande’s Editing of Christmas in Lagos

Martini Akande is no stranger to capturing the rhythm and ecological essence of a city through his virtuosic editing and assembling of footage and images. Think back to 2018 when he edited Taiwo Egunjobi’s In Ibadan, a romantic gesture to both editor and director’s city of birth. Intimately aware of the supposedly lukewarm rhythm of life in Ibadan, Akande’s editing captures the calm pacing and emotional intensity of not just Ibadan but the film’s characters. Akande’s editing insights and adept use of tempo added to the overall feel of the film. Thus, it’s unsurprising that Akande’s editing once again captures emotional rhythm and pacing of not just Lagos, as a city, but of Fiyin, Ivie, Elo and other characters in Jade Osiberu’s Christmas in Lagos.

As stated, Akande is no stranger to complex, character-driven storytelling, and in Osiberu’s Christmas in Lagos, he delivers his usual career-defining piece of work. From pinning the chaotic and bustling markets of Lagos, fast-moving Lagos roads and unsleeping Lagos streets to the quiet intimacy of family kitchens and church services, Akande’s editing is what knits together the city’s kinetic energy. Thus, in Akande’s handling of the film, not only does his edit give the film shape, it affords it breath and expression. This allows the film the opportunity to further capture the vibrant, colourful and expressive energy of Nigeria’s most populous city during the festive season. Ultimately, the film owes much of its emotional and narrative coherence to the deft hand in the editing suite.

Lagos as a City in Motion

Lagos, as a city, isn’t calm, patient and reflective. The fast-paced nature of the city doesn’t afford opportunity for calmness, patience nor quiet reflection. Everything and everyone is moving, especially in December. This intrinsically means that any film set in Lagos must excavate this kinetic energy and rhythm. Thus, in Osiberu’s Christmas in Lagos, Lagos is portrayed not as a mere backdrop, but as a central, living character in the film. And it takes Akande’s insight and understanding of the city’s heartbeat and energy to replicate Lagos’s character with sequences and transitions that expouse this. In the film, the editor leans into this idea with an opening sequence that immediately immerses the viewer: jump cuts, overlapping audio, and layered visual textures that replicate the overwhelming sensory tapestry of Lagos in December. It isn’t a clinically neat edit. And, for those familiar with Lagos during December, that’s the point. The city picks up an octave-higher level of menace, vibrancy and party. And Akande’s edit resists polish in favor of authenticity, channeling the unpredictability of the city itself.

What’s remarkable is how this energetic disposition of Lagos and that of the film’s characters finds balance with moments of stillness and volatile energy. In a film packed with intersecting narratives, flourishing romance, estrangement and cultural clash, Akande ensures not just a kind of visual jazz but ensured that the deeply personal stories find expression. Fast, sharp cuts drive the film’s public moments (street celebrations, crowded transit scenes), while private moments are treated with restraint. A slow dissolve here, a held close-up there, these quieter rhythms give the film its emotional depth. This editing choice matches the energy ascribed to Lagos and some of the characters. Additionally, the still moments further grounded the film’s emotional core and depth affording viewers an opportunity to see and meet the characters beyond the bedlam that surrounds their daily existence.

Weaving Storylines

One of Christmas in Lagos’ technical achievements resides in how it navigated its cast ensemble, introducing characters and multiple intersecting plots. Akande’s assured and confident command of structure is evident in how seamlessly the film jumps between characters without losing momentum or clarity. We know where we are at every point in time in this film. Transitions are often handled with poetic flair. In one instance, we are in Lekki and in another moment we are in Isale Eko. This transition choice is an elegant visual metaphor for connection across distance. These moments of editorial artistry give Christmas in Lagos a cinematic texture that elevates it beyond a standard holiday ensemble drama.

Performance Enhancement Through Editorial Precision

While Christmas in Lagos features strong performances across the board, anchored by Teniola Aladese, it’s through Akande’s masterful editing that their full emotional weight is truly realized. His keen eye for selecting the most resonant reaction shots, nuanced dialogue deliveries, purposeful silences, and evocative camera angles transforms each scene into a layered emotional experience. Time and again, characters communicate more through a glance or a pause than with words, and it’s Akande’s deliberate editorial choices that give those moments their lasting power.

A Landmark Work in Nigerian Cinema

Christmas in Lagos stands out as a vivid reflection of contemporary Nigerian life and a testament to the evolution of Nollywood’s technical artistry, an evolution driven by editors like Akande. His work on the film exemplifies a masterful command of the editing craft, marked by emotional intelligence and

precise rhythm. Editing, at its essence, is the heartbeat of storytelling, and here, Akande not only captures the dynamic pulse of Lagos but also demonstrates a sophisticated grasp of cinematic pacing, tone, and narrative flow. His editorial decisions shape how the story unfolds and how it feels, proving his crucial role in crafting the film’s emotional and cinematic resonance.