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By Kareem Islamiyat
In the emotionally charged drama Kanaani, a powerful tale of displacement, faith, and survival, one name stands out behind the camera: Uti Prince Chiejine. As the film’s cinematographer, Chiejine has crafted a visual experience that is as gripping as it is poetic, translating the heart of the story into a rich, cinematic language.
Set in a politically tense and socially complex backdrop, Kanaani follows the journey of characters caught between home and exile, reality and hope. The film, acclaimed for its powerful narrative and raw performances, owes much of its emotional resonance to the arresting visuals created under Chiejine’s direction of photography.
“For Kanaani, I wanted every frame to speak. The camera wasn’t just recording events, it was feeling them,” Chiejine explained in a recent interview. “The story demanded a visual approach that was intimate yet expansive, spiritual yet grounded in harsh reality.”
To achieve this, Chiejine employed a blend of naturalistic lighting and stylized framing, using RED Gemini cameras and Atlas Orion anamorphic lenses to bring a cinematic depth to the screen. His lens choices allowed for a broader emotional scope, capturing everything from the oppressive heat of open terrain to the flickering warmth of candle-lit interiors.
Critics and audiences have praised Kanaani not just for its storytelling, but for the atmosphere that envelops viewers from the first scene. Much of that atmosphere stems from Chiejine’s deliberate use of light and shadow, which underscore the film’s themes of loss, spiritual awakening, and resistance.
One of the standout sequences in the film, a night exterior shot in a remote rural area, was lit using battery-powered LED fixtures, simulating moonlight and firelight with an almost painterly quality. “It was one of our most challenging setups,” Chiejine recalls. “We had to work without grid power, but the constraints pushed us to be more creative. It ended up being one of the most visually powerful moments in the film.”
Beyond the technical finesse, Chiejine’s work on Kanaani exemplifies a deeper commitment to telling African stories with authenticity and visual sophistication. His collaboration with the film’s director, production designer, and editor ensured that the visual language was tightly woven into the fabric of the film from pre-production through post.
With Kanaani, Uti Prince Chiejine continues to solidify his reputation as one of Nigeria’s most visionary cinematographers, a creative force who doesn’t just light scenes, but brings them to life.
As the Nigerian film industry expands its global reach, talents like Chiejine are at the forefront, proving that Nollywood is not just prolific, but powerfully artistic.
Kanaani is currently making rounds in film festivals and cinema nationwide.
