Aisha (Anna Diop), an undocumented Senegalese immigrant, is hired as a nanny by an affluent, self-absorbed Manhattan couple (Michelle Monaghan and Morgan Spector). Recognizing that this may be her best opportunity to bring her son to America, this stranger in a strange land is willing to deflect the upper crust’s micro-aggressions, objectifications, and inept attempts at wokeness. What she’s less equipped to deal with are the predatory mermaids and trickster spirits that have manifested in both her dreams and waking world.
Equally inspired by West African folklore and North American socioeconomics, Nikyatu Jusu’s beguiling psychological drama ensnares you in its uncanny atmosphere, much like a spider might entrap a fly. Jusu’s deftness as a director is complemented by Diop, who evinces Aisha’s fierce survival instincts while also lending her a compelling vulnerability. The film’s ethereal elements are undeniably haunting, but it’s Nanny’s depictions of immigration’s dark realities that chill you to the bone.
U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic, Sundance 2022
Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector, Rose Decker, Leslie Uggams
USA
2022
In English and Wolof with English subtitles
At SFU Woodward’s
At The Rio
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
The Wizard of Oz
Judy Garland is Dorothy, a Kansas farm girl swept by a tornado to the Technicolor world of Oz, where she is befriended by a cowardly lion, a brainless scarecrow and a tin man without a heart.
The Wizard of Oz © 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. All Rights Reserved.
North of Ourselves
In the depths of winter, two adventurers set out to cross Quebec from one end to the other on bike and skis, exploring its staggering geography and meeting its inhabitants (human and otherwise) along the way.
The Secret Agent
Having run afoul of an influential bureaucrat in Brazil’s military dictatorship circa 1977, Marcelo decamps to Recife to live under an assumed name — but he’ll soon come to understand precisely how rampant the country’s corruption has become.
It's a Wonderful Life
Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings. This Christmas classic is whimsical, sure, but it has the depth to stand up to multiple watches, and it really should be a communal experience, because that is what it's about.
Tokyo Godfathers
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Christmas Eve. Middle-aged has-been Gin, aging drag artist Hana, and teenage runaway Miyuki are three homeless friends who stumble across an abandoned baby and do their best to care for the infant over the course of a long and perilous night.
You Got Gold: A Celebration of John Prine
A remarkable line up of artists come together to share their love for the great American singer-songwriter John Prine, including Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Kurt Vile and Kasey Musgraves.
Credits
Executive Producer
Maria Zuckerman, Ryan Heller, Michael Bloom, Jason Blum, Rebecca Cammarata, Bill Benenson, Nnamdi Asomugha, Laurie Benenson, Grace Lay, Sumalee Montano, Nikyatu Jusu, Chris McCumber, Jeremy Gold
Producer
Nikkia Moulterie, Daniela Taplin Lundberg
Screenwriter
Nikyatu Jusu
Cinematography
Rina Yang
Editor
Robert Mead
Original Music
Tanerélle, Bartek Gliniak
Director
Nikyatu Jusu
Writer/Director Nikyatu Jusu’s short film Suicide by Sunlight made its debut at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, garnering a prolific festival run. Nanny is Jusu’s feature film debut and won the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Additionally, Nanny was one of 35 projects selected for the 2020 Creative Capital Awards, and shortlisted for The Black List 2020. In addition to filmmaking, Jusu is an Assistant Professor teaching directing and screenwriting.