About 'The Milkmaid'

Official Poster of ‘The Milkmaid’

The Milkmaid

'The Milkmaid' is Danono Media’s debut feature film project, shot in Northern Nigeria. Inspired by the iconic image of the two Fulani milkmaids depicted on the back of the Nigerian Ten Naira note, The Milkmaid is a creative imagining of the fate of two peasant sisters caught up in the upheaval of militant insurgency in rural Sub-Saharan Africa. The story is a primarily Hausa language drama (with elements of the Fulani language, Fulfulde, as well as Arabic), and chronicles the fate of two peasant sisters caught up in the upheaval of militant insurgency that pervades a section of the sub region. The film juxtaposes the color and elegance of rural Hausa/Fulani culture against a graphic and visceral portrayal of the harrowing ordeal of conflict victims and the personal and societal implications of the resulting psychological trauma.



Story Synopsis

Aisha’s younger sister, Zainab, is getting married. Elaborate traditional preparations are undertaken in the local village in rural Sub-Saharan Africa by the family of the milkmaid sisters and that of her farmer fiancé, Haruna. The day arrives, the union is sealed. But prospects of a bright future together for the new couple are violently dashed when insurgents strike right in the middle of the wedding reception. After the ensuing carnage and forced separations, the sisters are abducted along with other villagers and taken to the base of the insurgents on the outskirts of a remote town. The unacceptable new life imposed on the sisters will test their concepts of self, family, faith, relationships, and even humanity, forcing them to make choices for their survival and sanity that will have profound consequences for all concerned. Has the innocence of the past now become an impossible dream?

About the Production

'The Milkmaid' was produced in partnership with the Government of Taraba State in Nigeria. Nicknamed “Nature’s Gift to the Nation‟, Taraba is geographically the 3rd largest state in the nation and consists of undulating landscapes and mountainous features which are unparalleled in beauty throughout the country. The Milkmaid was filmed on location in selected areas of Taraba State including the state capital, Jalingo, the province of Gashaka (home to the largest national park in the country as well as the scenic Mambilla Plateau– the highest plateau in Nigeria and the focal point of the Great Dispersion of the Bantu tribe across the African continent 3,000 years ago.

The cast of 'The Milkmaid' was comprised of predominantly non-professional actors native to the shooting location in Taraba.




Official Trailer of ‘The Milkmaid'




Assistant Secretary General of the UN, Ahunna Eziakonwa, at the special screening of ‘The Milkmaid’ at the United Nations in New York, USA.
Assistant Secretary General of the UN, Ahunna Eziakonwa, at the special screening of ‘The Milkmaid’ at the United Nations in New York

Screenings & Release of ‘The Milkmaid'

In addition to limited theatrical releases in Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Cameroon, The Milkmaid has screened in official competition at several notable film festivals around the world.

Also, in recognition of the film’s underlying themes highlighting the prevailing threat posed by extremism to the socially disadvantaged, the UN’s Spotlight Initiative in collaboration with Danono Media hosted a special screening of The Milkmaid at the United Nations in New York.

In July 2022, The Milkmaid was launched for public viewing on Amazon Prime Video.