Simpa Samson

DOCUMENTARY FILMS


My purpose as a documentary filmmaker is to tell stories that change the way people walk through the world by inspiring curiosity, wonder, and empathy. I aspire to tell stories that move people.

The Forest Women of Afi in Nigeria

The magnificent Afi forest in Nigeria’s Cross River State is not only home to endangered animals but also a lifeblood for the people living around it - but the Cross River State has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. Mary Ofre lives in the nearby village of Olum, where her small-scale farm provides for her family. She is part of a local women’s group that plays a vital role in monitoring and reporting illegal logging. She and the forest women of Afi stand together to protect the mountains, trees and animals of this stunning natural habitat, for everyone’s future.

Role: DP/Director
Client: Al-Jazeera Documentary {Africa Direct}

Solar power: The women driving Nigeria’s new energy industry

A year after Nigeria ditched the petrol subsidies that powered its economy, renewable energy is on the rise. Meet the dynamic women - from engineers to installers – shaping the country's solar revolution 

Role: Director of Photography
Client: Context (Reuters) 


NBA President Stokes Africa's Hoop Dreams | Power Players

Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri leads the only non-US team in the National Basketball Association, and he's spearheading an effort to take the game global.  Using basketball to accelerate economic development in Africa. “Maybe the best thing I ever discovered that helped me in my career was the confidence in the continent, and the confidence in the talent in the continent,” Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri says in the latest episode of Power Players. “And if we grew the game, the spotlight will start to come to this continent.”

Role: Cinematographer
Client: Bloomberg Original

What happened to the Chibok girls?

Ten years ago, 276 Nigerian school girls were abducted by Boko Haram from their school in Chibok, north east Nigeria. The attack caused international outrage and a nationwide campaign demanding for their release, but it would be two years before the first girl escaped. She and those that followed were promised support to rebuild their lives, but what actually happened to the Chibok girls?

Role: DP/Director
Client: BBC News Worldwide

Selling out Nigeria - Shell's irresponsible divestment

Selling Out Nigeria Shell's irresponsible divestment" shows how historical pollution remains a serious issue and how Shell is trying to avoid responsibility for this despite the billions of dollars it has earned from the oil. Shell must be made to clean up the damage and pay for decommissioning of the oil infrastructure before it leaves There can be no justice in the energy transition if fossil fuel companies can walk away from contexts like the Niger Delta, which is one of the most oil-polluted places on Earth.

Role: DP/Director
Client: SOMO

Bat Couple: Nigeria’s Bat Researchers


Bats dominate her life, day and night. She and her biologist husband, Ben Obitte, comb the caves high up in Nigeria’s Afi mountains to research, monitor and understand different bat species, in order to protect them.They relate their inspiring journey and share their award-winning work, revealing the story of their love of bats – and of each other.

CANES WORLD WINNER: Best Nature Documentary

Role: DP/Director
Client: 
Al-Jazeera Documentary {Africa Direct}

Trans Resilience in an African Fashion Capital

Kamari Romeo heads to one of Africa's leading capitals to find out how trans and gender non-conforming Nigerians are dealing with their government's move to police gender-and meets trans designers pushing boundaries in the Lagos fashion world. This episode was filmed in 2022. Since then, the cross-dressing bill discussed in the documentary failed to advance in Parliament.

Role: 2nd DP
Client: Vice News 

Why Africa Doesn’t Have More Sports Arenas

Masai Ujiri, president of the Toronto Raptors, is pushing to make professional sports a bigger business in Africa, keeping talent, opportunity and money on the continent. He's promoting the construction of Zaria Court in Kigali, Rwanda, as a template-the kind of multi-use arena replete with hotels, restaurants and public space that could boost the fortunes of cities all over Africa.

Role: Camera Operator
Client: Bloomberg Originals 

Nigeria’s Chaotic Rise as the Tech Heart of Africa

Nigeria's tech industry is ready to boom, thanks to an ambitious young workforce. We meet the "Zuck of Nigeria," along with other top founders who see the country's problems as opportunities for innovation.

Role: Director of Photography, Drone, Fixer
Client: Bloomberg Originals 

Black Snow: Nigeria Oil Catastrophe

Oil theft known as “bunkering” and the refining that comes with it are sickening and killing Nigerians living amid the pollution. It’s also creating one of the world’s most severe ecological disasters. 

EMMY NOMINATED

Role: Director of Photography/Director
Client: Bloomberg Originals 

Roux Prize 2023 Recipient

"It was very clear from an early age that what would want to do with my life is contribute to the mission and work of making things better.!
Congratulations to Professor lbrahim Abubakar who was just awarded the #RouxPrize this evening in London! His steadfast contributions to global health have positively impacted the lives of millions of people.
This video of his achievement was shared this evening at the event:

Silver Winner: Telly Award

Role: DP/Drone Operator
Client: IHME Institute of Health Metrics Evaluation.

Why Nigeria Is Suddenly Betting on Solar 

An abrupt decision to end fuel subsidies is making electricity more expensive in Africa's biggest city, Lagos. Here's how Nigeria is unplugging from dirty generators and taking a gamble on solar power.

Role: DP/Director
Client: Bloomberg Originals

A Stone crusher’s song in Nigeria

A grandmother in Jos, Nigeria goes from breaking rocks for a living to rocking social media and becoming a music star at the age of 70.

Role: Field Producer, DP/Director
Client: Morgan Stanley

Powering Nigeria one Electric Capsule at a time

Power generation in Nigeria is mainly from hydro and gas-fired thermal power plants Poor electricity supply has serious consequences for the businesses in the country, with several SMES struggling to maintain profitability and new players shying away from entering the market. The government has undertaken several measures, With crippling electric supply in Nigeria, but now individuals like Olubenga is taking it a step further to provide affordable, reliable and sustainable electricity to all Nigerians. Olubenga Olubanjo, founder of Reeddi has found a way to help electrify villages and very soon cities of Nigeria.

Role: Field Producer, DP/Director
Client: Bloomberg Quicktake

Martha’s Delta

Martha is a remarkable woman on a mission to regenerate the ecosystem within the Niger Delta after oil spills have devastated the area and tell her story to raise awareness. Martha has taken up the fight to not only replenish her local environment but also to bring opportunities to other Women in the area. This film hopes to open our eyes to how detrimental extraction industries can be and whilst showing us the sheer power of the human spirit at work.

Role: Field Producer, DP/Director
Client: WaterBear Network

Covax Vaccination Campaign in North East Nigeria

COVAX vaccination campaign in North east Nigeria and South Yemen.

Role: Field Producer, DP/Director
Client: INTERSOS

The Black River: Whiskey Documentary

This film is dedicated to the garden city. We must continue to shed light on the truth of situations and play our part in society to make a positive change for our people.

Role: Director of Photography
Client: Spaceship Collective

Vital Voices

When Boko Haram abducted 300 Chibok girls in 2014, Oby was one of the first to speak out. She co-founded the Bring Back Our Girls campaign, taking to the streets and galvanizing global calls for action. Even in the face of threats and intimidation from extremists, Oby refuses to remain silent. Oby is unapologetic about her bold vision for Nigeria and her continent, Africa. She recently ran for president as the only female candidate and is currently working to transform broken systems of public leadership. Oby was recognized as a Vital Voices 2020 Global Leadership Awards Honoree.

Role: Assistant DP
Client: Already Alive/Vital Voices

Inside the global wildlife underground trafficking

‘Bad Goods’ is a documentary series for Vice News looking at the worldwide illicit trade market, from wildlife trafficking, counterfeit item selling and sand mining. It will follow key people, from enforcement to traffickers, at the heart of the trade and explore what is behind the demand for illicit products.

Role: Director of Photography
Client: Vice Media

Inside the Brutal World of Nigeria Boxing

This is a Project I worked on for Vice News as the Lead DP. Dambe, a form of Nigerian boxing, is a centuries-old martial art that’s taken the country by storm. VICE News heads to Nigeria to learn more about the growing sport and the warriors who practice it.

Role: DP/Director
Client: Vice News

Police Brutality is Tearing Nigeria Apart

In the height of Police brutality in Nigeria, there was a nation wide peaceful protest by young Nigeria youth, and the responds from the government was sending its military force to shoot innocent and Unarmed Nigeria youth. I was opportune to work on this documentary as the Lead Director of Photography, as we document the event that happened on the day of the shooting 20/10/2020

Role: DP/Director
Client: Vice News

Wives of Boko-Haram Mini-Documentary

In 2014, the Nigerian government offered an amnesty to Boko Haram fighters. Thousands surrendered, and many wives fled with their children. But they’ve come back to a hostile reception. In 2017, I traveled to Maiduguri, Northeast Nigeria to document some of their horrible experience. I worked on this Project as the Director and Shooter

Role: DP/Director
Client: TRT World

Gold Man Environmental Prize Winner

In the aftermath of disastrous oil spills in Nigeria, environmental lawyer Chima Wiliams held Royal Dutch Shell accountable for the resultant widespread environmental damage. This is the first time a Dutch transnational corporation has been held accountable for the violations of its subsidiary in another country.

Role: Field Producer, DP/Director
Client: Goldman Environmental

The Nigerian Warrior Hunting Kidnappers Hunters

The Nigerian Warrior Hunting Kidnappers Hunters
Nigeria’s volatile northeast, focuses on a Queen Hunter who leads a ragtag group of vigilantes who hunt down Boko Haram (ISWAP) militants and heavily armed kidnappers who threaten her community. This film was made possible with the herculean efforts and courage of an incredible team in Nigeria and outstanding professional work by production in the US and the UK, all done amid the pandemic with all the extra challenges it presented.

Role: Director of Photography
Client: Vice News

Grind Before You Shine Eps_5

She pushes past her limits and teaches us a valuable lesson: we can all break through our boundaries. Do the work, get the reward. Grind before you shine.
It’s unfortunate that Despite all the Hard work, long training hours, blood, sweat, tears, they were disqualified because of the negligence of the country they represent.

Role: Producer, DP/Director
Client: Blink Media

Feeding A Crisis: Africa’s Manufactured Hunger Pandemic

Hunger is still the biggest killer in Africa and it has a lot to do with colonialism. redfish worked with filmmakers in Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe to tell local stories of food and hunger, but also the growing resistance to the continued influence of former colonial powers, their corporations and institutions. Economic sanctions from the Global North, debt and loans from the IMF, aid dependency, and enforced capitalism have all played a central role in Africa’s manufactured food crisis.

Role: DP/Director
Client: Redfish Media

Using Format