Nanny

Winner of the US Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance, Nanny is a mesmerising and captivating debut feature from Nikyatu Jusu.

Aisha (Anna Diop) is a Senegalese nanny, working undocumented in New York for a wealthy white family. She looks after her ward Rose, secretly feeding the girl jollof rice when she won’t eat the food her mother leaves for her. Meanwhile, Aisha’s son remains at home in Senegal as she tirelessly works to raise money for him to join her.

As Aisha’s relationship with her employers weaves into a web of complexity, so too does her connection to home, as she finds herself haunted by figures from West African folklore. What are these symbols trying to warn her about – her employers, or something darker lurking within her own life?

With a stunning and distinctive visual style, Jusu weaves together a complex and tense portrait of labour, privilege and motherhood.

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