Directed by Adamu Halilu • 1976 • Nigeria
Starring Mairiga Aliyu, Umaru Dembo, Umaru Ladan

Based on a novel by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, who later became Nigeria’s first prime minister, this landmark of Nigerian cinema—a work of immense beauty—was thought lost until recently. Set in northern Nigeria toward the end of the nineteenth century, SHAIHU UMAR starts with a discussion between Islamic students and their renowned teacher, the wise man Shaihu Umar (Umaru Ladan). Asked about his origins, Umar tells his story: of how he was separated from his mother and fell into slavery, how he overcame his circumstances to become an imam, and how, following a particular dream, he resolved to search for his mother.