UWC Atlantic College

Class of 2007.

What is your fondest/ funniest/most insightful/ defining memory/ moment from UWC ?

Certainly, not my fondest memory but the one I refer to the most is how the coldest experience of my life was the orientation week. We went to one of the coasts of Wales for this, and I remember I had never been so cold even though I was wearing a sweater, my fleece, and my jacket. Somehow, feeling that cold was not enough to stop me from going surfing for the first time and swimming in the sea, and that probably made me feel even colder!

What path led you to the present?  What have you been up to since graduating from UWC? 

After UWCAC, I attended the University of Sussex where I got an LLB in Law with International Relations and then, University College London for my masters in International Public Policy. While studying, I realized that there was a gap in the consensus of issues that made it to laws and policies and what average people like you or I were concerned with. I knew I wanted to work in this gap and I saw media as one way of exploring this. I worked with iROKOtv in Lagos for almost 3 years before venturing out to work on my own media social justice projects. Since then I have been commissioned for work by various Nigerian and international media bodies and my work has shown at film festivals in Europe, the Americas and in Asia.

What are you up to these days?

I'm completing an MA in Documentary and Factual Filmmaking in Berlin. In addition to this, I am currently working on a cross-media project supported by the National Geographic Society. I'm looking for new ways that media can be used to tell empathetic stories about the conflict situation in NE Nigeria. You get a glimpse of the project here. I'm also learning German and volunteering through small-scale film productions for a migrant group based in Berlin, and an LGBT rights groups working in sub-Saharan Africa.

How does your UWC experience affect your life, journey and where you are today?

Going to a UWC definitely sealed my love for the world and has contributed to my current value system. I find it very important to be connected to the society I live in and find ways to contribute to it. It's not always easy but I find that doing that always enriches my life. I also like knowing that I will probably find someone who is part of the UWC family wherever I go. I have been enjoying this a lot more since I became a part of the National Geographic Explorer's family. At the Explorer's event held in London in February this year, I met at least 3 fellow UWCers.

What are you reading/watching/thinking about currently?

Today, I am meditating on a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke called Ich lebe mein Leben in wachsenden Ringen (I live my life in widening circles). My German is not yet good enough to appreciate it in its original language but the first two lines of an English translation go..."I live my life in widening circles that stretch themselves over all things".  I recently spent two weeks traveling in Greece and I thought a lot about the power of beliefs, which ones I had and what influenced them, and which ones I wanted to retain or unlearn.

Where can people see your work and connect with you?

 

On social media, people can find me on Instagram @ifeatunnaobi. My last project which is very UWC-inspired can also be found on Instagram @whereis_home. I also love slowed down communication like letters and postcards so I will probably reply to a handwritten letter before I attend to my email inbox. I’m happy to receive post at:

P. O. Box 449
Enugu,
Enugu State, Nigeria

 

MAY 2019.