Made at the Memorial University of Newfoundland

https://instagram.com/onyemaojukwu

Mgbeke, a 25-year-old Nigerian Igbo woman living in Newfoundland, returns from her mother’s burial in Nigeria carrying unresolved questions and re-experiencing childhood trauma. Her attempt to settle back into her work as a care worker is disrupted when a client makes a racist remark.

As Mgbeke withdraws from her loved ones, her younger sister Chioma grows concerned, unaware of the lifelong abuse Mgbeke endured at the hands of their late father. Haunted by memories and the silence of her own mother, Mgbeke struggles to navigate her grief, anger, and sense of betrayal.

Directed by Onyemaechi Mervyn Ojukwu

Cast: Ihechi Marcus, Aedon Young, Donna Kinsella

Director Statement:

As a filmmaker, I am drawn to stories that sit in the quiet spaces of human experience, where trauma, memory, and silence shape who we are. For my debut short film, I created the narrative film, Dreams in Translation, with experimental elements, which follows Mgbeke, a young Nigerian woman navigating grief, unresolved trauma, and the subtle violence of racism and misunderstanding. Through her story, I explore the weight of silence, the complexity of mother-daughter relationships, and the ripple effects of generational pain.

I aim to tell complex stories with subtle filmmaking, using intimate performances and minimalistic choices to invite viewers into a reflective space. This film is an attempt to make visible the struggles often hidden behind closed doors, to create empathy across cultural and emotional divides, and to ask audiences to consider how we respond to the pain of others.

At its heart, Dreams in Translation is a meditation on resilience, memory, and the power of witnessing, showing that small, personal stories can speak to universal truths.