Sophie Okonedo Says Taking ‘Clarissa’ From Nigeria To Cannes Made Her Cry Tears Of Joy; Directors Arie and Chuko Esiri Are “Very Singular With Their Vision”

Oscar nominated for Hotel Rwanda, Sophie Okonedo comes to Directors’ Fortnight with Clarissa, an adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s 1925 novel Mrs. Dalloway directed by Nigerian siblings Arie and Chuko Esiri. Okonedo stars as the title character — Clarissa is the heroine’s Christian name — and the story follows a day in the life of this society woman as she plans a dinner party. The kicker here is that the Esiri brothers have shifted Woolf’s very British period tale to Lagos, with key sections in a contemporary setting. Here, Okonedo reveals how she broke down in tears when she heard that the film had been accepted.

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