Zina Saro-Wiwa (b. 1976, Port Harcourt, Nigeria) is an innovative video artist and filmmaker renowned for her contributions to contemporary African art and cinema. Based in Brooklyn, New York, she creates video installations, documentaries, experimental films, and music videos. She is celebrated for founding the alt-Nollywood movement, a subversive reinterpretation of the Nigerian Nollywood film industry that challenges political and cultural conventions.

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Early Life and Education

Zina was born into a prominent Nigerian family. Her father, Ken Saro-Wiwa, was a celebrated author, poet, and environmental activist who tragically lost his life in 1995 under Nigeria’s military regime. Her mother, Maria, raised Zina and her siblings in the UK, where Zina attended Roedean School, a prestigious private girls’ school in Sussex, and later studied economic and social history at the University of Bristol.

Zina has a twin sister, Noo Saro-Wiwa, a travel writer known for Looking For Transwonderland, and an older brother, Ken Wiwa, author of In The Shadow of a Saint.

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Artistic Career and Alt-Nollywood

Zina’s career transitioned from journalism—she was a BBC journalist—to filmmaking and video art. Her work is deeply rooted in transforming global perceptions of Africa. She pioneered the alt-Nollywood movement, a genre that employs Nollywood’s vibrant style and techniques while critically examining its cultural narratives.

In her alt-Nollywood films, Zina incorporates dubbing, fragmented storytelling, and surrealist visuals, subverting traditional Nollywood tropes to address themes like gender, power, and identity. This radical approach has earned her recognition as one of the foremost leaders of the African Renaissance, as highlighted by The Times in 2011.

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Multifaceted Artistic Practice

Beyond filmmaking, Zina engages with art through food and cultural experiences. Her project, New West African Kitchen, reimagines West African cuisine while integrating video art and mini-lectures, creating a multisensory platform to explore African identity and history.

Her artistic work spans installations, experimental films, and documentaries, each contributing to a broader discourse about African aesthetics, politics, and culture.

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Recognition and Impact

Zina’s contributions have positioned her as a leading figure in redefining African narratives in the global artistic space. She challenges stereotypes and provides fresh, authentic perspectives on African life, politics, and creativity. In 2017, Norient, a cultural platform, emphasized her use of dubbing in alt-Nollywood films as a tool for disrupting cinematic norms, underscoring her role as a trailblazer in the field.

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Legacy and Influence

Through her work, Zina Saro-Wiwa continues to inspire new generations of African artists and filmmakers. Her fearless innovation, combined with her commitment to cultural authenticity, ensures her legacy as a transformative figure in contemporary art and cinema.