Caller ID: Unknown (2023)

[bunniefuu]

(feet stomping) (gentle music)

(singing in foreign language)

(birds chirping)

(leaves rustling)

A diamond in the mud.

(Nkwenti slurping)

(Nkwenti sobbing)

(dramatic music)

(Nkwenti screams)

(Nkwenti coughing)

(phone ringing) (dramatic music)

(Nkwenti retching)

(Nkwenti coughing)

(dramatic music)

(Nkwenti coughing)

(phone ringing)

Mama. (Phone ringing)

(dramatic music)

- Hello.

- [Female] Hello.

(woman speaks in foreign language)

Hello.

It's me Nkwenti.

(woman speaks in foreign language)

Sorry, mama.

(woman speaks in foreign language)

[Female] Bernard, Bernard.

Where is Bernard?

Bernard?

(woman speaks in foreign language)

(Nkwenti speaks in foreign language)

Good morning.

(woman speaks in foreign language)

I would like to speak French.

(woman speaks in foreign language)

Nkwenti, never give up, a soldier, soldier.

I am a soldier.

(woman speaks in foreign language)

(Nkwenti speaks in foreign language)

(woman speaks in foreign language)

[Female] Hello, hello?

Hello?

(Nkwenti speaks in foreign language)

(woman speaks in foreign language)

Nkwenti, what you dey

always talk about city?

You don't even know how

things them dey for this side.

I hear say life over-strong for there.

See, people life different for here oo.

We get farm there, we dey sell for market.

Beauty salon them no lack,

if you want make (Awah

speaks in foreign language)

look like city girls.

In fact, schools them dey.

(Awah speaks in foreign language)

Awah, why do you want to

design your life around here,

around this village

with so many limitations,

when there's life happening out there?

Look, yes, I know this is our root,

yes, but then a tree must grow.

A tree must grow and

produce fruit, not just fruit,

very good fruit.

We not get trees for here?

I beg, leave me outta

your big, big grammar.

Talk to me, me too I fit understand.

I'll keep speaking the big grammar, yes.

I make sure to learn day by day

so that I can improve my vocabulary.

(bombs blasting)

(singing in foreign language)

(speaks in foreign language)

(Flore speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(Flore speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(Nkwenti speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(Flore speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(Flore speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(woman speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(Cyril speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(Cyril speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(Cyril speaks in foreign language)

(dramatic music)

(water pattering)

[Female Call Operator]

The number you are trying

to dial is unavailable.

Your call is being

forwarded to a voicemail.

The number you are trying to dial.

(phone ringing)

[Essono] Hello, yes.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

It's Nkwenti.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(Nkwenti speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(Nkweti speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

I randomly dialed it.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Nkwenti.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Please, please, sir, please.

I'm stuck in the forest, I'm lost.

(Nkwenti speaks in foreign language)

(gentle music)

Hello (Essono speaks in foreign language)

Yes, I'm still here.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Yes (Nkwenti speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

No, I'm in the Southwest.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Yes.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Why are you (Essono

speaks in foreign language)

I mean (Essono speaks in foreign language)

(Nkwenti speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Please, I have to go.

I have to go.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Hello, hello.

(cars engines roaring)

(door thuds)

(footsteps approaching)

(woman speaks in foreign language)

(dramatic music)

Ojong.

Nkwenti.

(Ojong speaks in foreign language)

Oh my God, you scared me.

I'm all alone.

Me I think say all men don vanish,

wet in you dey do for here?

What is happening over there?

Nkwenti, give man that your grammar.

See, you no know say w*r dey village?

I know, I just, I do

wanna know the situation.

w*r thing don (Ojong

speaks in foreign language)

w*r thing don worse.

Village don empty, people

them dey die, Nkwenti.

I no fit even count the number of die body

that I want see am for

road, I dey come for here.

You see my mommy?

Nkwenti, just pray say,

make your mommy no still dey village,

because if she still

dey for village, forget.

Because thing wey I

don see am for that side,

na w*r film, Nkwenti.

All thing don (Ojong

speaks in foreign language)

People they don scatter, houses don burn,

and man dey run.

Nkwenti, life no dey.

Leave am, leave am, leave am.

Make we go.

Make we go from here first, you hear now.

Make we move here, make we go.

Come, come, come.

Nkwenti (Ojong speaks in foreign language)

(dramatic music) (crowd screaming)

(sings in foreign language)

(g*n fires)

(indistinct)

Please, this is not the time for this.

We have to go.

(Mama Nkwenti speaks in foreign language)

I say, wet in una dey do again for here?

Mami Ngo, please help me, please.

Mom, mom.

[Maame Nkwenti] Mami

Ngo is here, you say wet in?

(Mami Ngo speaks in foreign language)

I no fit even walk.

(indistinct)

Where?

Asher, how you go do now?

(indistinct)

No, don't leave we here.

Nkwenti, Nkwenti, I've left you.

Go away (speaks in foreign language)

Nkwenti, make we go.

Them no fit k*ll me.

(b*mb blasts)

(all crying)

[Mami Ngo] Make we go, make we go.

- Nkwenti, go.

- Make we go.

Make we go, make we go.

(Nkwenti crying)

(crowd murmuring) (dramatic music)

Nkwenti, Nkwenti, wake up, wake up.

Wake up, make we go.

(indistinct)

No, I no dey go.

[Ojong] Wetin, wet in, you mean?

You no dey go, how?

Ojong.

Nkwenti, Nkwenti, come.

Stand still.

You no hear the thing

wey I tell you yesterday?

If you remain for here, you go die.

I understand.

See, see, no be time this

for dey talk grammar, Nkwenti.

I dey beg you, come pass, we go.

We go, we go.

Come, make we go.

I'm not leaving.

I said I'm not leaving.

(Nkwenti speaks in foreign language)

Nkwenti, no man no dey village again.

I dey tell you say even your

mommy dey, make we forget am.

If you remain for here, you go die.

I beg you, mami, come make we go.

Come make we go.

If you like, you go.

(Ojong sighs)

(gentle music)

Take.

I beg, come make we go, Nkwenti.

If you want go, you go.

Okay, okay.

Jude, I told you I'm not interested.

Don't you understand?

You can't force someone to love you.

No, Nkwenti, I no dey force you.

I just chatting.

I know how everything dey

work, nothing comes easy.

You and I don't have

the same vision, I'm sorry.

Don't disturb me again.

(phone vibrating)

Hello.

Yes.

I will call you.

Later.

Right now, I prepare for work.

I will.

Oh there's hope though.

I will call you.

Okay.

(Flore speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(door thuds)

(phone ringing)

Hello.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(Nkwenti speaks in foreign language)

Don't worry.

We can speak in English.

I do understand.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Okay, don't bother.

I understand French,

averagely though, but I'll try.

So, as I was saying,

I turn off the phone from time to time

so that I can preserve the battery.

Ah, okay.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

It's a good idea.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

The military and the

separatist are always in combat.

I'm afraid they're getting

closer to where I am.

Oh, Jesus.

It's so dangerous.

I know, but I don't have a choice.

I just have to stay alert,

and take off whenever there's danger.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

I can't really say I slept.

I mean, you never really sleep,

when danger is your next door neighbor.

But for now, I'm fine.

I just find it very difficult to get food,

but I eat something.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

I mean, how can I help, how?

If I ask you to help,

that'll be so selfish and wicked of me.

Why are you saying that?

I can't ask you to, that'll be needless.

I can't ask you to save my mother and I.

I can't ask you to get out

of the house where she is,

if she's even still there.

If I ask you to, that would be suicide.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Positivity is one of my virtues.

But right now, I just keep

running around in a circle.

No purpose, all I do is run and hide,

and find anything that's

gonna fill my stomach.

It is like, I'm turning

into an early woman,

if that exists in your

dictionary, so you see.

Sorry, what's your name?

My name is Essono.

Nice to meet you Essono.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(car engine roaring)

(car door thuds)

(footsteps approaching)

(dramatic music)

Rain, rain, please fall.

Please, please, please.

Even if I had a mirror right now,

I wouldn't even look at myself.

(bright upbeat music)

Nkwenti.

(woman speaks in foreign language)

Where are you going?

(woman speaks in foreign language)

There's no place to go.

There's no place for me here.

A diamond in the mud.

(Nkwenti speaks in foreign language)

I swear if I not pull

it (indistinct) today.

I know we have fight.

My blood dey hot, our blood dey hot.

I feel I for chop flesh.

- I want drink blood.

- You understand?

I need to waste some person

straight from (indistinct)

You understand?

Thunder, fine job, fine job.

But guys, we need plenty

(man speaks in foreign language)

I mean, we need plenty groundnuts.

I don't hear wet in you talk.

But right now, we for chop this meat,

so that we get more power.

When we get more power

(speaks in foreign language)

Yeah.

You know wet in I dey talk about.

You no fit continue, we

for dey worker until last.

When we dey together,

we'll get time for attack.

(man speaks in foreign language)

Shut up, shut up your mouth.

Shut up, don't play with me for here.

I go waste you.

I go waste, Thunder tell am.

I go waste you.

(man speaks in foreign language)

We no go pass that route,

we'll pass another route,

so that we'll take them by surprise.

(Thunder speaks in foreign language)

- Thunder, Thunder.

- Yes.

You went over, no plenty.

(man speaks in foreign language)

Na scatter, scatter.

(dramatic music)

(men speaking in foreign language)

Move.

(dramatic music)

Hello, Essono.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

How did you know?

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Really?

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

This time around, I narrowly escaped death.

Death?

I mistakenly run into some separatist.

Seriously?

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Really?

Did you expect me to anger them?

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Yeah, that's just a sociopolitical reason,

but here is a b*ttlefield.

Due to too much bloodshed,

the minds of our people

have been drowned in it.

There's so much bloodshed here and there.

No one is thinking it's true.

And you know, during wars,

women suffer the most.

So I have to stay away

from men at all cost.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

How was your day?

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

And why shouldn't I?

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

In what way?

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

I know, but please,

this shouldn't get in the way of your job,

or anything that's going

get your visions going.

You cannot make a sacrifice.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Tell me.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Wow, I didn't know you

would definitely trust.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Please Essono, we have to stop here

to economize the battery life.

Ah, okay.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Okay, I'll be waiting.

(Mr. Essono speaks in foreign language)

No.

(Mr. Essono speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(Mr. Essono speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(Mrs. Essono screaming)

(Mr. Essono speaks in foreign language)

Only two bars left.

It seems as if there's water somewhere.

(water pattering)

Oh my God.

Finally, water.

(water pattering)

(dramatic music)

You dey enjoy the water?

You dey enjoy the water?

Fine girl.

I can join you?

(man laughs)

Oh, you have clothes?

Is that your nakedness?

Or you'll come take am.

Make I come join you now.

Why you dey fear me now?

I said, you be mumu?

You no dey talk, fine girl?

Yes.

I dey come.

I said I dey come, master.

(man speaks in foreign language)

Fine girl.

Fine girl.

Fine girl.

(man speaks in foreign language)

You dey hide?

Which side you run go?

(man speaks in foreign language)

Wetin?

Fine girl.

You go hide from me?

Komot, komot, komot.

But now your clothes dey for here,

you go run and k*ll us?

Serious oo.

Fine girl.

You no fit run again or?

I be juju, why you dey run me?

(man speaks in foreign language)

Snake, snake.

(man speaks in foreign language)

Are you okay?

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Tell me, I'm listening.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

You know, that's a very genuine question.

I understand your point of view.

Almost everyone who comes

around me ask the same question,

even the people of my village.

But I choose to be this way.

I choose to be different.

We're in the 21st century,

but most African villages

are still in the 19th century.

So the question is,

must I remain uncivilized

because I live in the village?

Must I go to the farm

or market all my youth,

and marry someone who is not my choice,

and be his wife forever, his housemaid?

I mean, housemaid

because most African

men do not love their wives.

They just see them as a piece of tool.

Don't get me wrong, Essono.

I know that every woman has

to be submissive to her husband,

but I'm different.

I am a woman of ambitions.

I don't want to be expected of life.

I want to live up to the standard.

Nkwenti (Essono

speaks in foreign language)

Deep inside of me,

I've always felt like something

more is lacking in my life,

something I couldn't explain.

And with the introduction

of a cable television,

I was introduced to the outside world.

So I got connected to the outside world

by the help of a television.

You know, people watch the television

for entertainment purpose, but I don't.

It's true, you can't stick out

that side of entertainment you get

from watching the television.

Na wet in you dey do for here?

No I be send you make you

go buy me something there?

Go buy it for me, I beg.

Because it's always there,

but it became a school for me.

I wanted to know more.

Go, Nkwenti, go.

Television lady, run.

Na which kind bad luck be this?

And do everything I saw on

TV, of course, the good ones.

Then at one point, I

realized that I needed a mate

to exercise what I

perceived at every moment.

The computer was the best choice,

but it seemed a little bit complex for me.

Then I realized that there's this type

of phone called smart phone.

My phone became my best friend.

I mean, nothing could

separate me from my phone.

I could travel and discover the world

through my little smart phone.

That was the best time ever.

I was happy.

(gentle music)

(dramatic music)

I hope you don't think

I'm a violent person.

[Essono] No, no.

If it's a good to model, I prefer.

Okay, now that I've

answered your question.

Yes.

Can I ask mine?

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Why do you care so much about me?

I mean, you always make

sure to call me, check up on me.

I'm curious.

Are you there?

Yeah, yeah, I'm there, I'm there.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

There's always a

reason behind every action

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Essono, you have never seen my face,

you don't even know how I look,

but still, that's why you

cannot answer the question.

If I ever get out of here alive,

if I ever get out of here someday,

okay, let me use this, a funny example.

If I get out of here alive,

and let's say we fall in love,

and we start living like a couple,

I'm going to write a book about this,

and I'll title it "The

Hardest Love Story Ever."

You are funny.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Does it matter?

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(Nkwenti speaks in foreign language)

Nkwenti.

Welcome, sister.

(sister speaks in foreign language)

What was mom telling you?

(sister speaks in foreign language)

(Mrs. Nkwenti speaks in foreign language)

I want see my grandpikin

flop for the house.

Mommy, you too.

Me too, wet in?

You want marry and die in the book there.

Madam, so you don

dey go school for night too?

You know, not very,

this the advanced level,

so we have preparatory classes.

This is the time where

we have to focus the most.

Nkwenti, Nkwenti.

Woman for book.

- Courage, big mommy.

- Thank you.

But Nkwenti, as you dey

put your head for that book,

wet in go knock your head

(man speaks in foreign language)

Correct talk.

I don't want the relationship right now.

I want to go to the university first.

Get my first degree, and even my masters.

(all laughing)

(Nkwenti speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

No, no, no, I was just thinking

about my sister and brother-in-law.

I don't know where they escaped

to when everyone was running away.

I don't know if they're

still alive or dead.

It's okay.

I never really gave a

chance for any relationship.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

What do you mean by that?

I mean, they were not at your level.

Yes, you're right.

Nkwenti (Essono

speaks in foreign language)

Essono (man speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

One example is Spider-Man.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(man speaks in foreign language)

(sings in foreign language)

- Hello.

- Hello.

Do you want to go to somewhere?

You speak English.

If you don't understand

me, I can speak in pidgin.

No, no, it's okay.

I understand very well.

Okay, shall we?

Come, come.

Please don't do it.

I'm not here for that.

Okay, so what are we doing here?

Please, I'm not here for sex.

I just came here to make an inquiry

about a very important situation.

Please, can we sit down?

Who are you?

No, don't be scared.

I'm not here for any problems.

Are you aware that I might

be losing clients right now?

Don't worry, I'm going to pay for this.

So, what do you want to know?

How can I start?

Okay, are you from the

North or the Southwest region?

I'm from the Southwest region.

Okay, good.

I have a friend in the village

in the Southwest region.

The village is called Ngotsi.

- Ngotsi.

- [Essono] Yes.

- That's my village.

- Really?

Mm-hmm.

I've spent my entire

life there before the w*r.

I see, I'm sorry about that.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

She's now living in the bushes.

You know, this is a very

delicate situation for a woman.

I heard about that in the news,

the refugees in the bushes.

I mean, it's horrible.

So, for how long has she been there?

It's been two months.

I want to take her out of there.

How is that possible?

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

She said she's not hurt

after the chiefs are (indistinct)

This is suicide.

You will never make it.

I've been told about that.

But I'm involved now and

my conscience is k*lling me.

Pushing the courage, she's strong.

She's not like me.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

I'm no more worthy of compliments,

I wish I was with her.

I'm nothing, I'm just a

failure in human race.

No, don't curse yourself, please.

I can't even stand with you.

All I did is hang up to the worst nightmare

that could happen to a woman.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

I bothered every day,

but it has become a sting

in my (indistinct) right now.

Sorry.

I'm coming with you.

And by the way, my name is Bessem.

Nice to meet you.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Look, I'll prefer when you are

at the outskirts of the village.

Let me find a way to come to

you instead of you coming here.

This is dangerous.

No, no (Essono speaks

in foreign language)

You cannot risk your life that much.

Nkwenti, don't worry about me.

I can take care of myself.

- But you don't understand.

- I understand.

I'm sorry (Essono speaks

in foreign language)

Why are you doing this?

(g*n firing)

Essono, I forgot, my

phone is shutting down soon.

Okay (Essono speaks in foreign language)

(indistinct)

(dramatic music)

(footsteps approaching)

(Flore speaks in foreign language)

- Hello.

- [Nkwenti] Hello, Essono.

Hello.

God, no, no, no.

(Nkwenti crying) (sings

in foreign language)

(Flore speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(Flore speaks in foreign language)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

(dramatic music)

It's still not going through?

No.

Why are you taking all your

risk in accompanying me?

Truly, I'm not doing it for you.

Then for what?

I mean, I really want

you to find your friend.

I'm going to heal, but I

just want to return home,

hoping to start all over again.

But the conflict is still going on.

I know.

I have no choice now.

I'd rather fall into dignity

than rise up to shame.

(dramatic music)

Don't you have phone?

I don't have a phone, I swear,

I don't have a phone.

(man speaks in foreign language)

(man speaks in foreign language)

I don't have a phone.

(man speaks in foreign language)

(man speaks in foreign language)

Hey, I got the phone.

I got it from a secondhand shop,

and I reactivated your number.

Here's your ID card.

You can have it.

Thank you.

Sorry.

- You should rest first.

- No, I'm okay.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

I'll just come back later.

Go, go have yourself some rest.

Essono, take care.

(dramatic music)

[Essono] Nkwenti.

[Nkwenti] Oh my God, it's you

Me, Nkwenti.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Yes, my battery died.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Long story.

Are you still coming?

No (Essono speaks in foreign language)

- Is everything okay?

- Yes, I'm fine.

Oh my God.

I thought I was never

going to talk to you again.

(g*ns firing)

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Yeah.

(g*ns firing)

Hey, hey. (Helicopter engine roaring)

Yeah, Essono, I'm scared.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

You have to run, Nkwenti, run.

Go!

(g*ns firing) (dramatic music)

Nkwenti.

Nkwenti.

Nkwenti, Nkwenti.

(fire crackling) (gentle music)

(man speaks in foreign language)

(dramatic music) (car engine roaring)

(dramatic music)

(upbeat music)

(cars engines roaring)

(sings in foreign language)

(phone vibrating)

- Hello.

- [Nkwenti] Essono.

Nkwenti.

Nkwenti.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

[Nkwenti] I'm in Douala.

I'm on a very long bridge.

(Essono speaks in foreign language)

Okay, I could,

stay where you are, please.

I'm coming, okay?

I'm coming.

(sings in foreign language)

Nkwenti.

Essono.

(gentle music)

How I do I tell you

that I've been into you

It's only so many words to say

And if you leave me, I'll be torn apart

Please believe me, hear me out

The world is so lonely without you

I can't say clearly I got to

Reach out to you

Reach out to you, yeah

Why do I always be in the wrong fight

They say I got gotta

always no that been about us

Oh, it's never easy

To trail this lonely path

Can you hear, I can't do without

The world is so lonely without

I cannot say clearly I got to

Reach out to you

Reach out to you

I am (indistinct)

I should take my hand

The story is not changing now, believe

Yon gon' be the plan

The world is so lonely without you

I cannot say clearly I got to

Reach out to you

Reach out to you

Reach out to you

Reach out to you