The Ogbanje Mythology and African Spirituality in “Water Girl”

In Igbo cosmology, the Ogbanje is a phenomenon that describes someone who goes through a repeated, cyclical phase of birth and death. According to traditions, the same child keeps dying and is reborn within a particular family or household. The child is believed to possess extraordinary features and maintains ties with the spiritual realm through a carefully buried earthly treasure, iyi uwa. Water Girl, a supernatural drama written, produced and directed by Nnamdi Kanaga, reanimates the Ogbanje belief, giving fresh perspectives to it in a modern, Western and diasporan context.

Shot in Montana, the United States, where the filmmaker lives, the African film feels like a dutiful synergy of cultural values. Just as the filmmaker himself admits, Water Girl “pays homage to the truthfulness of old Nollywood storytelling while exploring new horizons of modern-day cinema.” The film incorporates elements of Igbo culture, such as spirituality, music, folklore, ritual and language, channeling them towards international audiences.

Like many filmmakers, Kanaga’s style is a reflection of his experiences—with the use of American English and Igbo serving as a testament to his Nigerian roots and American influences. The talented filmmaker and actor was born and raised in Lagos before moving to the United States where he made his directorial debut with The Hail Mary, the first all-black-lead-cast film made in Montana.

Water Girl is about 18-year-old Kamsi (Moriyahfaith Jackson), the daughter of Nigerian mother Nkechi (Stella Damascus) and American father Mike (Nick Wilder), who often has eccentric experiences. Her mother, Nkechi, becomes troubled upon discovering that Kamsi is an Ogbanje, but she runs out of time while trying to remedy the situation. The story ends on a tragic note with the magical disappearances of Kamsi, Nkechi’s lover Obinani (Kenneth Okolie) and Kamsi’s boyfriend Jennings (Oliver Harden).

Narrated by Kamsi, the story opens with brief descriptions about water as the camera cuts to some water bodies. Then, Kamsi dreams about wandering in the woods where she encounters a strangely dressed lookalike. We soon discover that Kamsi lives with her mother while her father is late. While the story slowly progresses we know there are dark secrets and it is only a matter of time before they are spewed. One of the pointers to this reality is the occasional use of flashbacks to recall Nkechi’s struggles with motherhood and Mike’s moments with his family, including how he died.

An exciting feature of Water Girl is the filmmaker’s attention to detail. From sound effects like the ticking of the clock and burble of water to nature-based references such as  Nkechi’s conversation with her lecturer about taking eco-criticism as a course and Kamsi’s poetry class during which the teacher talks about a Water is Life nationwide protest, Kanaga stimulates the minds of viewers so they are constantly reminded of and realigned with the thematic forays of the film.

The film often drifts between the past and present, recalling Nkechi’s motherhood travails, most especially her quest for a child as she suffers numerous miscarriages. Such reflections on the past help to contextualise the precarious situation of Kamsi’s existence. This theme of motherhood is just as central to the film’s depiction of African spirituality.

It must, however, be noted that the belief in recycled birth is not exclusive to a specific African culture. While this exists across different African cultures, each is accompanied by its unique conceptualization. In Yoruba culture, it is known as Abiku. A conversation between Jennings and Kamsi also reveals that in Ghana, where Jennings hails from, a child born after a series of miscarriages is an Ababio—with the word itself literally translating as “you have come again”. 

Water Girl is an Afrocentric project that is littered with cultural sentiments that are rooted in African societies. The belief in dreams and nightmares as a potential medium for communicating important messages and connecting with the supernatural realm is reinforced through the experiences of Kamsi and Nkechi. For most Africans, a bad dream or an oft-repeated dream isn’t random and should not be trivialised. Eccentric manifestations such as Kamsi’s encounter with the Queen Mother in a pool and her tasting salt in a glass of water proves that for Africans, only a thin line exists between the natural and supernatural worlds. Africans believe that these worlds interact more often, willingly or unwittingly, yet it is the duty of humans to be careful not to upset the order in both worlds.

Water Girl puts Kanaga on the forefront of telling compellingly ambitious stories about the continent to an audience not limited by  cultural and geographical barriers. Having evolved from Nollywood, the filmmaker derives inspiration from Igbo tradition. But also, he attempts to elevate Igbo spirituality to a new landscape, lending agency and proving its relevance in alien societies. And this he achieves through beautiful, artful cinematography and subtleties that veer from the melodrama and sensationalism associated with mainstream African stories that are based on age-old beliefs.

Kanaga’s Water Girl will be screened at the 23rd Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF 2025) scheduled for 1st – 9th August, 2025 in the United States.