The UB Interview: Imole Ladipo Talks ‘8:38’ + ‘The Woman on the Other Side’

Award-winning filmmaker and Lumiere Films founder Imole Ladipo is building a body of work rooted in emotional truth, cultural perspective and cinematic tension.

Following the festival momentum of her psychological thriller “8:38,” including a presence at the Cannes Short Film Corner, Ladipo now turns attention to “The Woman on the Other Side,” a 10-minute drama-thriller starring Angel Parker and Sarah Siadat.

Written by Paula Goldberg, the film follows a woman who senses danger in a public space and chooses to protect another woman by pretending they know each other.

For Ladipo, the story is not only about fear, but about instinct, presence and the quiet courage it takes to intervene.

UB spoke with Imole Ladipo about her creative process, her Cannes experience, the emotional depth of “8:38,” and why she believes cinema can be both thrilling and healing.

UrbanBridgez.com: Your work often blends suspense with emotional depth. What drew you to The Woman on the Other Side?
Imole Ladipo: At its core, The Woman on the Other Side is about keeping each other safe. It is a story about women’s safety, and that immediately resonated with me. I am drawn to stories centered on women, especially women of color and women whose faith or identity often places them on the margins. What fascinated me most was the subtlety of the script. The film speaks about the quiet rules and invisible expectations women have learned to live with for generations. So many decisions that affect us are made without our participation, and over time those choices become normalized. I think of them as silent laws. I directed this film because I believe those silent laws can only be challenged when women stand together. Even in moments of fear, there is power in solidarity. What moves me most about Peggy and Laura is that they are strangers, yet they instinctively understand one another. In a world that often encourages division and suspicion, their connection becomes an act of resistance. For me, the film asks a simple but urgent question: What happens when one woman refuses to look away from another woman’s fear?

UrbanBridgez.com: The film stars Angel Parker and Sarah Siadat. What did they bring to the
Imole Ladipo: Angel Parker and Sarah Siadat each brought something unique to the film, and as a director, it was a privilege to watch them work. Both come from incredibly strong backgrounds in television and film, so they arrived with a deep understanding of character and storytelling. Angel brought warmth, confidence, and an instinctive sense of protection to Peggy that made her feel both ordinary and heroic at the same time. Sarah brought a beautiful vulnerability and emotional truth to Laura, allowing so much to be communicated even in silence. What impressed me most was their chemistry, not just on screen but off screen as well. They developed a genuine trust and connection with one another, and that naturally translated into the film. Because The Woman on the Other Side is ultimately about two strangers finding solidarity in a moment of fear, that authentic bond between Angel and Sarah became one of the film’s greatest strengths. As a director, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing actors elevate the material in ways you could never have imagined. They did exactly that.

UrbanBridgez.com: The story deals with instinct, safety and women protecting one another. Why did that theme feel urgent to you?
Imole Ladipo: That’s a great question. Throughout my life and career, some of the people who have supported me, guided me, and kept me safe have been women. My strongest relationships have been with women, and I have experienced tremendous joy, encouragement, and community because of them. There is often this narrative that women cannot work together or that competition between women is inevitable, but that has never been my experience. I’ve witnessed women show up for one another in extraordinary ways, sometimes in very quiet ways that never make headlines. Because of that, the idea of one woman standing up for another feels completely natural to me. We have to. We must. What I love about The Woman on the Other Side is that Peggy and Laura are strangers. They don’t share the same background, race, or religion, yet instinctively they recognize each other’s humanity. For me, that’s what sisterhood looks like. Sometimes protecting someone isn’t a grand gesture. Sometimes it’s simply refusing to let another woman face fear alone.

UrbanBridgez.com: You recently returned from Cannes with 8:38. What did that experience represent for you as an independent filmmaker?
Imole Ladipo: Cannes has a long history of discovering and championing distinct cinematic voices, so simply having the opportunity to be there was already a tremendous privilege. We screened 8:38 at the Short Film Corner within the Marché du Film, and receiving a Best Actress award from Diversity in Cannes made the experience even more meaningful. As an independent filmmaker, moments like these are incredibly encouraging. They remind you that stories created with passion, collaboration, and limited resources can still resonate on an international stage. More than anything, it made me proud of the entire team behind 8:38. Every person involved poured so much heart into the film, and seeing our work recognized at Cannes felt like a celebration of all of us. The experience gave me even more confidence to continue telling stories that are personal, specific, and rooted in empathy. It reaffirmed that there is space in cinema for new voices and for stories that might otherwise go unheard.

UrbanBridgez.com: 8:38 was inspired in part by your grandmother’s memory loss. How did you translate something so personal into a thriller?
Imole Ladipo: Yes. For most families, experiences like memory loss are often approached as dramas, and understandably so. But I became interested in something different. I wanted to imagine what it might feel like from my grandmother’s perspective. What does it feel like to become lost inside your own mind? To me, that’s deeply psychological. There’s something terrifying about waking up and not recognizing the people you love or questioning the reality around you. The scariest part isn’t a monster or an outside threat. It’s losing your sense of certainty and identity. With 8:38, I wanted the audience to experience that confusion and fear firsthand. The thriller elements became a way of placing viewers inside that emotional reality rather than simply observing it from the outside. At its heart, the film is still about family and memory. The suspense was simply my way of expressing the invisible horror that so many people living with memory loss and their loved ones experience every day.

UrbanBridgez.com: You have a background in Mathematics and Chemical Engineering. How does that part of your life influence your filmmaking?
Imole Ladipo: More than people realize. Mathematics and Chemical Engineering taught me how to think structurally, how to solve problems, and how to understand that every system is made up of smaller parts working together. I approach filmmaking the same way. When I’m directing, I’m constantly thinking about rhythm, timing, cause and effect, and how each creative element contributes to the larger emotional experience. Whether it’s performance, editing, sound, or camera movement, I see filmmaking almost like building an equation where every variable matters.
Engineering also taught me resilience. Experiments fail, calculations change, and sometimes you have to start over. Filmmaking is very similar. You learn to adapt, collaborate, and trust the process. Ironically, while my educational background is rooted in logic and science, filmmaking allows me to explore emotion and humanity. I think those two worlds complement each other beautifully. One gives me the discipline to make films, and the other gives me the freedom to dream.

UrbanBridgez.com: Lumiere Films has become the home for your work. What kind of stories do you want the company to be known for?
Imole Ladipo: I want Lumiere Films to tell stories that feel deeply human and relatable. If you think about your own life right now, all the joy, heartbreak, fear, humor, uncertainty, and complicated truths you’re living through, those are the stories I want to explore. Whether the film is a thriller, a drama, or something with moments of comedy, I always want it to be grounded in truth. I want audiences to see themselves in the characters and walk away feeling understood. Life is messy. It’s funny, painful, beautiful, and sometimes frightening all at once. Those are the kinds of stories I want Lumiere Films to be known for stories that entertain, but also reflect the real experiences of ordinary people. At the end of the day, I hope people associate Lumiere Films with authenticity. No matter the genre, the emotional truth will always come first.

UrbanBridgez.com: Your films have dealt with grief, justice, memory, fear and compassion. What connects those themes for you?
Imole Ladipo: I think those themes are simply part of being human. Everyone experiences grief, fear, love, compassion, and the search for justice in different ways. What interests me is exploring those universal emotions through my own perspective and lived experiences. I don’t think I’m necessarily reinventing these themes. What makes them unique is the lens through which I tell them. As a Nigerian-born filmmaker, a woman, and someone who has lived through different cultures and experiences, I naturally bring a different point of view to familiar emotions. At the end of the day, people connect to honesty. We may come from different backgrounds, but we all know what it feels like to lose someone, to be afraid, to hope, or to need compassion. Those shared experiences are what connect all of my work. For me, cinema is simply a way of reminding us that our humanity is often much bigger than our differences.

UrbanBridgez.com: As a Nigerian-born filmmaker working across global spaces, how does your cultural perspective shape your voice?
Imole Ladipo: My perspective will always be shaped by being Nigerian, and I want to stay true to that. I never want to lose the things that make us distinct. I want to hear our accents. I want to see our hairstyles, our braids, our fashion, our curves, our humor, and the way we speak to one another. I want people to feel human and authentic. What excites me about cinema is that our differences are what make storytelling rich. If everyone looked the same, sounded the same, and experienced life the same way, it would be a very boring world. Diversity is not something I add to my work. It is simply who I am. At the same time, I believe that while cultures may differ, emotions are universal. A Nigerian mother loves her child. A Korean mother loves her child. A woman in Texas understands fear just as a woman in Lagos might. Those emotional truths connect us. I want my films to celebrate where we come from while reminding audiences that our humanity is shared.

UrbanBridgez.com: What do you hope audiences take away from The Woman on the Other Side?
Imole Ladipo: I hope audiences leave the film remembering that safety matters. Being a woman matters. Looking out for one another should never go out of style. I hope the film reminds people that solidarity is still important and that protecting one another is not a weakness, but a responsibility. We all share the spaces we live in, and I believe we have a duty to protect both the land and the people who call it home, regardless of where they come from or what they believe. More than anything, I hope people walk away understanding that kindness and courage can exist in very ordinary moments. Sometimes changing someone’s life doesn’t require grand gestures. Sometimes it simply means refusing to look away and choosing to stand beside another human being when they need it most. I would love for audiences to leave asking themselves, “If I saw someone afraid, would I step onto the other side too?”

UrbanBridgez.com: What is next for you after 8:38 and The Woman on the Other Side?
Imole Ladipo: First, if anyone has a spare million dollars lying around, please call me. (Laughs.) In all seriousness, I’m currently raising financing for my first feature film, which is an exciting next step for me. But right now, my biggest focus is making sure that 8:38 and The Woman on the Other Side have the life they deserve. So many talented artists poured their hearts into these projects, and I truly believe these stories deserve to be seen by audiences around the world. My goal is to continue building awareness for both films through festivals, screenings, and conversations like this one. I’m always writing and developing new projects, but I’ve learned that part of being an independent filmmaker is also honoring the work that’s already been created. These films still have a journey ahead of them, and I’m excited to see where that journey leads. And yes, if you happen to know someone with a million dollars who loves cinema, my email is open. (Laughs.)