Amara Ogara

Amara Ogara has a clear mission in her work. “I wanted to tell stories that humanized the existence of queer Africans,” she tells GO. “Being from a homophobic country means you don’t get media representations or movie inclusions, and when it happens, it’s portrayed in a negative way.” Ogara continues, “I wanted to tell stories that would help to reconstruct the way people see us, the way we [see] ourselves. I wanted to tell stories that capture humanity at its soft spots, its vulnerable places, and what’s softer than when a woman loves a woman?” Her short film, This Is Not You (TINY), embodies Ogara’s storytelling style, which aims to cultivate communal wellness and enact social impact. The Minneapolis-based filmmaker, director, and content producer offers her social media followers an intimate look into her day-to-day existence as an African lesbian woman navigating relationships, migration, and selfhood. Ogara documents her daily wellness practices, which include using food as a form of medicine and care. When asked about the most rewarding aspect of her work, Ogara says, “Being a person I respect because my work isn’t that I tell stories or I plan to change the world with stories. My work is first that I exist in these stories. And I see myself. I follow myself, I witness myself, and I respect who I am.” –LE