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I Am Igbo

Elemchi Nwosu is of Igbo ethnicity, and her parents are survivors of the Biafran Civil War in Nigeria. Now living in Wales, Elemchi journeys back into her heritage.

In this documentary, we meet Elemchi Nwosu, who is of Igbo ethnicity. Growing up in the UK, Elemchi found that her parents - who were survivors of the Biafran War - rarely spoke about how the war affected them. Her parents, Felix and Rose Nwosu, like many other Igbo people, moved away from Nigeria after the civil war. On the anniversary of the end of the civil war, Elemchi visits her parents to ask about the struggles of moving to another country and living in the shadow of the war that totally changed their lives.

Elemchi travels to Swansea, where she meets a Welsh woman who married an Igbo man and moved to Nigeria in the 1950s to help with the war effort. Next on her journey, Elemchi parties with the Igbo Community Wales in Cardiff Bay at an annual celebration. Elemchi is warmly embraced as she finds peace and belonging among fellow Igbos, before paying a visit to the Igbo school in Cardiff. A new generation of Igbo children learn their ancestors’ language through play and song, and, like Elemchi, they live in Wales but want to honour the culture that is part of their DNA.

On a journey through memory and identity, Elemchi pieces together what it means to be an Igbo in Wales in the 21st century.

10 months left to watch

14 minutes

Credits

Role Contributor
Director Mo Jannah
Series Producer Anna Arrieta
Editor John Richards
Production Manager Ieuan Jones
Executive Producer Roger Burnell
Executive Producer Sorelle Neil

Broadcast