AARE (THE EXPANSIVE MAN)

Rooted in West Africa, and expanding to communities across the globe, the Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in the African continent, connected by historic customs, maintained over centuries. Spanning present-day Nigeria, Togo and Benin, and predating colonization as one of the most prominent empires in West Africa, Yorubaland is the heartland of a wealth of traditions and practices, often transcendental in their nature. These spiritual customs are embedded in a rich oral tradition, manifested through poetry – ewi – and panegyrics – oriki – sending echoes from history to the global diaspora.

Serving as an archival preservation of cultural heritage, short film Aare celebrates the practices of the Yoruba people through dance and movement. His background traced to Lagos, Nigeria, director Taoheed Bayo reflects on the tapestry of traditions that inform his personal experience, narrowing in on the power found in these customary practices. Through themes of spirituality, vulnerability, rigidity, and self-discovery, the film follows the transcendental expansion of its central figure – performed and choreographed by Bayo – who occupies the stark confines of a studio setting with an energy that surpasses the limits of space.

Director, Writer, Choreographer & Performer:

Taoheed Bayo

Co-Director & Producer:

Mark Khan

DOP & Editor:

Justin Ofori-Atta