Machine Boys explores the informal motorcycle taxi economy, known as “Okada”, in Lagos. Despite a government ban, a tough group of bikers strives for financial autonomy. The film highlights the challenges and daily rituals of “Okada” riders, revealing a complex masculinity intertwined with vulnerability, while critiquing Nigeria’s patriarchal culture. With its innovative style, the film delves into post-colonial informal economies and the sociocultural nuances of Nigeria’s largest city. With Machine Boys, Karimah Ashadu received the Silver Lion Award for a Promising Young Artist at the 60th Venice Biennale.

Karimah Ashadu (b. London 1985) is a British-born Nigerian artist and film director living and working between Hamburg and Lagos. Ashadu’s work is concerned with labour, patriarchy and notions of independence pertaining to the socio-economic and sociocultural context of Nigeria and its diaspora. Her work has exhibited and screened at institutions internationally, including the 60th Venice Biennale, where she was awarded the Silver Lion. In 2020, Ashadu established her film production company Golddust by Ashadu, specialising in Artists’ films on black culture and African discourses.