‘Clarissa’ Trailer: David Oyelowo, Sophie Okonedo, India Amarteifio & Ayo Edebiri Lead Starry Virginia Woolf Adaptation

Here’s the first trailer for Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri’s starry second feature, Clarissa, which Neon is set to release Stateside on December 11.

Shot on 35mm film in Nigeria, the film is a loose adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway. The story follows Clarissa, a high-society woman in the throes of preparing to host a party at her home in Lagos, where she will unexpectedly encounter once-intimate friends from her youth.

The official synopsis continues: “As the group reflects on their shared past over the course of a single night, memories of their intricate relationships, passionate love, hidden desires, and lost aspirations give rise to a bittersweet reckoning.”

Starring in the pic are David Oyelowo (Selma), Toheeb Jimoh (Ted Lasso), Nikki Amuka-Bird (Knock at the Cabin), and Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), who has a supporting role. The film is led by Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda) and India Amarteifio (Queen Charlotte), who play the title character Clarissa at different ages.

Chuko Esiri penned the screenplay for Clarissa and produced alongside Arie Esiri, Theresa Park for Per Capita Productions, and Nicholas Weinstock for Invention Studios. Co-producers include Nina Gold and Thomas Bassett, and executive producers are Okonedo, Dolly Omodolapo Kola-Balogun, Osahon Okunbo, and Jason Reif.

Arie and Chuko Esiri are coming off their debut feature, Eyimofe (This Is My Desire), which premiered in Berlin and went on to win five African Movie Academy Awards. The film was released by Janus Films and is now part of the Criterion Collection.