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Arie Esiri
Filmmaker
Arie Esiri is a Nigerian-born filmmaker known for his contributions to independent cinema, especially through collaborations with his twin brother Chuko Esiri on films that capture everyday life in modern Nigeria.
Born in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria, about 30 minutes before his twin brother Chuko, Arie grew up in Lagos under a strict household where their mother limited distractions to prioritize studies. He first studied in England, then pursued an MFA in cinematography at Columbia University School of the Arts in 2019. Before film school, he gained experience in photography in Paris and worked on camera crews for brands like Audi, Vivienne Westwood, and the BBC.
Arie’s professional path centers on cinematography-driven directing, starting with short films like Besida (which premiered at the 68th Berlinale) and Goose (shown at LA Film Festival), both made with Chuko during their studies. Their first feature, Eyimofe (This Is My Desire), debuted at the 2020 Berlin Film Festival, earning acclaim for its 16mm footage of Lagos’s energy. He recently co-directed Clarissa, an adaptation of Mrs. Dalloway set for Neon distribution.
Events featuring
this guest
Sunday Sept. 20 2026 • 4:00 PM | Harlem Stage Gatehouse
Literature into Cinema: Arie and Chuko Esiri on Adapting Mrs Dalloway
Arie Esiri · Chuko Esiri · moderated by Lovia Gyarkye
A 90-minute conversation-led craft talk using Clarissa, Arie and Chuko Esiri’s reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway in contemporary Lagos, as a case study in literary adaptation. The brothers will discuss how interiority becomes image and sound, how character and structure change across forms, what can be carried from a novel into cinema, what must be invented anew, and what happens when a story is translated across time, geography, culture, and medium. The session moves through screenwriting, directing, collaboration, performance, and visual language before opening into an extended audience Q&A.