''Daybreak in Udi'' is a 1949 British
documentary film
A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...
directed by
Terry Bishop
Terry Bishop (21 October 1912 – 30 October 1981) was a British screenwriter, and television and film director. During the 1950s and 60s he worked extensively in British TV, directing episodes of series such as ''The Adventures of William Tell'' ...
about cultural changes in
Udi, Enugu
Udi is a Local Government Areas of Nigeria, Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the town of Udi on the A232 highway (Nigeria), A232 highway. The current Local government chairman is Hon Ifeanyi Agu.
It has an a ...
. It won the
Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...
in 1950.
Synopsis
It is 1949, and
colonial
Colonial or The Colonial may refer to:
* Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology)
Architecture
* American colonial architecture
* French Colonial
* Spanish Colonial architecture
Automobiles
* Colonial (1920 au ...
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
is undergoing an identity crisis. There is a clash between the progressive, educated elements of society - those who desire westernization and modernity- and traditionalists who want to maintain Nigerian heritage. Two young African teachers, Iruka and Dominic (
Fanny Elumeze,
Harford Anerobi Harford may refer to:
Places
;Australia:
* Harford, Tasmania, a locality in Tasmania
;United States:
* Harford, Pennsylvania a village in Susquehanna County
* Harford, New York, a town in Cortland County
* Harford County, Maryland
;United Kingdo ...
) decide the village of
Udi Udi may refer to:
Places
* Udi, Enugu, a local government areas and city in Nigeria
* Udi, a place in the Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh, India
People
* Udi Gal (born 1979), Israeli Olympic sailor
* Udi Vaks (born 1979), Israeli Olympic judoka
...
should have a
maternity home
A maternity home, or maternity housing program, is a form of supportive housing provided to pregnant women. Maternity housing programs support a woman in need of a stable home environment to reach her goals in a variety of areas including educatio ...
, itself a symbol of progressiveness and modernization. The British District Officer, E.R. Chadwick (
E.R. Chadwick), after some persuasion, assents to this decision and agrees to provide the resources for the project. Before work can begin, Chadwick wants to ensure that everyone in the village is on board for the task, but it quickly becomes clear that this is not the case. A man named Eze (
Josef Amalu), an elderly resident, believes that building the maternity home is both an affront to the tradition and culture of the village, and works to persuade others towards his view.
Chadwick visits the village in an attempt to convince the villagers otherwise, a task in which he ultimately succeeds. Work on the maternity home begins in earnest. Although it will prove a long, arduous process, the villagers band together to construct the building. They are interrupted by Eze, who arrives at the building site and claims that it is an old burial ground. He predicts that the builders will invoke the ire of the ancestors for disturbing the site and violating custom. Cultural values quickly manifest. Fear and superstition briefly stop the work, but Chadwick and Dominic arrive to allay the workers' fears and restart the building project. However, Eze’s threat looms large in the back of their minds.
In time the building is complete, but before it is set to officially open, a young woman and her husband arrive in the village. The woman is in labor, and so Chadwick and the midwife (
Joyce MgBaronye) agree to admit the woman as the home's first patient. That evening, while tending the woman, the midwife catches sight of movement and hears noises coming from outside. Frightened, she soon hears a knock at the door, but it turns out only to be Iruka coming to check up on the expectant mother. Relieved, the midwife resumes her work while Iruka sets a pot of water to boil on the fire. Shortly thereafter, there is another noise, and when looking out the window the midwife spots a masked figure peering in. Believing the masked figure to be a spirit of the ancestors, the midwife cries out in fear, but Iruka throws the boiling water onto the figure, revealing Eze, who flees back into the surrounding overgrowth.
The next day the villagers march up to the maternity home for the opening ceremony, a traditional one complete with dancing, music, singing, and native costumes. Chadwick takes the center seat in front of the maternity home to watch the events, with Eze sitting near him. Eze has finally accepted that tradition and progress, as visible in the final scene, can go together after all. In the closing narration, Chadwick tells the viewer that progress brings "power, spirit, unlimited and unknown possibilities and destinations" and suggests that progress should be the ultimate goal of native society.
Cast
*E.R. Chadwick as E.R. Chadwick
*Hartford Anerobi as Dominic
*Fanny Elumeze
[daughter] as Iruza
*Oso Anibhebe as Village Elder
*Josef Amalu as Eze
*Joyce MgBaronye as Midwife
*Clement Emehel as James
Awards
In 1950, the film won an Oscar at the
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for Best Documentary. It also received a BAFTA Award for Best Documentary Film.
References
External links
*
*
''Daybreak in Udi''at Colonial Film
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daybreak In Udi
1949 films
1949 documentary films
1940s pregnancy films
Igbo-language films
British documentary films
Best Documentary Feature Academy Award winners
Black-and-white documentary films
Enugu State
Nigerian culture
Health in Nigeria
British pregnancy films
Documentary films about Nigeria
British black-and-white films
Documentary films about pregnancy
Women's rights in Nigeria
Works about midwifery
1940s English-language films
Films directed by Terry Bishop
1940s British films