The Critics:
When we began experimenting with filming 13 years ago on one of our father's little cellphones, we also began to document ourselves. We were all younger than 11 at the time. In 2019, Pietra Brettkelly approached us, and working with her seemed a natural progression of what we'd begun so many years previously, thinking of the material as behind-the-scenes footage rather than documenting our lives. Pietra spearheaded a more focused documentation which we welcomed. And so evolved CROCODILE.
The name CROCODILE is inspired by the name of our hometown Kaduna which means ‘crocodiles’. In the present day, the crocodiles are nearly extinct and very difficult to find. In 2023, we made an effort to find crocodiles in the state and it was very difficult. These crocodiles used to be the pride of our hometown and today they are nowhere to be found. This was nature fighting back and retreating. We felt that these creatures were neglected, a feeling that we sometimes felt as young artists growing up in Kaduna. In the words of Mark Duplass ‘The calvary isn’t coming’. Though we had not heard this statement until very recently, it feels like a reflection of what we felt and we decided to take matters into our own hands by creating the future we wanted to see. A future where we aren’t neglected, our voices are heard and we are all moving forward with action.
Pietra Brettkelly:
CROCODILE sits within a continuum of my work exploring isolation. In this case, isolation from Western ideals and creative constraints. Alongside THE ART STAR AND THE SUDANESE TWINS, A FLICKERING TRUTH, and YELLOW IS FORBIDDEN, it forms part of an evolving cycle of films where challenging lives and extraordinary creativity collide, and where collaboration with subjects produces unexpected forms. CROCODILE has always been part of my longer artistic journey. Coming from a very small town, Ōhope in Aotearoa, New Zealand, I understand creative isolation first-hand. Across language, culture, and medium, The Critics and I formed a creative connection. I work organically, building trust and access over time. While true fly-on-the-wall filmmaking I believe is a myth, extended engagement allows deeper truths to surface. In this case, working without being embedded created challenges, but also opened new possibilities.
‘Restlessness’ is the word for me that underpins the artistic approach to CROCODILE. I believe it reflects The Critics hunger for life, growth, and a larger creative world, and shaped my approach to the filming and the edit’s pacing, privileging meaning over polish. Shot across 13 years, the footage captures the evolution of The Critics’ skills. I’ve leaned into the rawness of early material integrating these classically imperfect sound and pictures and seeing them rather as perfect, as part of the story rather than flaws to erase.
