Crocodile

Fascinated by Hollywood blockbusters and their special effects, five young men from Nigeria set out to figure out how to make films of their own. With no formal film training, they use homemade equipment, costumes and sets to make sci-fi films, which they upload to YouTube. Over seven years, director Pietra Brettkelly documents their lives: their everyday struggles, disagreements and doubts, as well as their growth as filmmakers. From making films at home, they go on to become the internationally known collective The Critics. Their work even catches the attention of Star Wars director J. J. Abrams, who gives them professional film cameras.

The Critics are a group of five filmmakers from Kaduna, Nigeria: Raymond, Ronald and Richard Yusuff, and Godwin and Victor Josiah. Largely self-taught, they have developed a distinctive cinematic language rooted in imagination, experimentation and community. They have made 54 short films, ranging from science fiction to drama.

Pietra Brettkelly is a three-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker, a Sundance award winner, a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and a New Zealand Arts Laureate. Her films have premiered at the Venice, Toronto and Tribeca film festivals.