Lagos is a city built on magnificent contradictions, where towering glass-fronted monoliths of corporate wealth cast long, cooling shadows over informal settlements, and the hustle for survival borders on performance art. It is this very friction that director Ugochukwu Azuya captures in his upcoming social class satire, ‘I Live in V.I.’ The project stands as a sharp-eyed exploration of urban alienation, intense gentrification, and the psychological toll exacted by a materialistically driven society. Spotlighted among the works-in-progress at the 2026 edition of Open Doors—the Locarno Film Festival’s prestigious co-production platform dedicated to regions where artistic expression faces immense hurdles—the film is rapidly shaping up to be one of the most anticipated cinematic critiques of modern Nigerian life.
The Anatomy of the Nigerian Dream and the Cost of Victoria Island
At the beating heart of Azuya’s narrative is Florence, a 23-year-old hospitality worker who uproots her life in Akwa Ibom and relocates to Lagos following the sudden loss of her father. According to details compiled by Showbiz.com, Florence finds herself rapidly unraveling under the weight of poor living conditions, grueling commutes to Victoria Island, chronic insomnia, and grief left dangerously unprocessed. To survive the punishing demands of her employment, she makes a desperate gamble: she begins squatting in an abandoned 1980s government construction site situated uncomfortably close to her workplace.
Her uncanny punctuality soon raises eyebrows among her colleagues, forcing her into an elaborate deception. Florence invents a glamorous double life, claiming she resides in Victoria Island—an exclusive enclave reserved exclusively for the ultra-wealthy—alongside a once-famous, now-forgotten aunt. This möbius-strip-esque narrative structure forms the scaffolding for a surreal satire examining the fractured promises of the Nigerian dream.
As Azuya notes in his director’s statement reported by Showbiz.com, the film speaks directly to the collective psyche of the nation. “We are all just a city,” Azuya explains, describing how Florence acts as a surrogate for countless young people navigating capitalism in Africa’s most populous metropolis. “Lagos is a city of fantasies where exorbitant displays of wealth exist alongside failing infrastructure and displaced people.”
From Locarno to Tabakalera: Momentum Behind the Lens
The journey of ‘I Live in V.I.’ reflects the growing international appetite for authentic, regionally grounded narratives that unpack the universal pressures of urbanization. Azuya, whose previous short film Swimming in Sea of Trauma debuted in 2023, is collaborating closely with producer Olubunmi Ogunsola of Nigeria’s Ensemble on this ambitious feature debut. Their creative synergy already bears institutional fruit; the project triumphed at the second edition of Locarno Open Doors—which focused specifically on cinematic voices from Africa—securing the coveted Tabakalera-San Sebastian Film Festival Residency Award.
Urban planners and cultural analysts frequently point out that the pressures facing Lagos mirror those of rapidly expanding megalopolises across the Global South. The rapid influx of economic migrants chasing cosmopolitan promises often collides with severe housing shortages and widening wealth gaps. By examining these structural inequalities through a lens tinted with gleefully sardonic Nigerian humor, Azuya avoids dry sociological lecturing in favor of poetic, chaotic realism.
“I want to showcase the poetry of the city: brutal, magical, chaotic,” Azuya states via Showbiz.com. Traversing the mental geography of Yaba, Oshodi, Elegushi, Obalende, Ojo, and Gbagada, the film stitches these distinct urban nodes into a sprawling constellation of survival and bravado.
Why the Satire Resonates Far Beyond West Africa
While the cultural markers, slang, and socioeconomic stratification are distinctively Nigerian, the core themes of identity construction and urban displacement remain radically universal. Whether an ambitious young professional moves to Lagos, Tokyo, São Paulo, or New York City, the fundamental desire to alter one’s material conditions through the promise of the concrete jungle stays remarkably constant.
As development continues on ‘I Live in V.I.’, the project serves as a timely reminder of what independent cinema does best: holding up a distorted, brilliant mirror to the absurdities of modern existence. How do you maintain your humanity when the city you inhabit demands nothing short of total reinvention? Drop a comment below and share your thoughts on how modern cities shape our deepest personal ambitions.
