The other important topic of the short film is identity, a theme developed after a period of reflection on her previous work “In Our Hands.” The short film focused on the 2020 EndSARS protests when tens of thousands of Nigerians marched in the streets against abuses, tortures and crimes carried out by the Police Force Special Anti-Robbery Squad. 

 

“What I’ve found was that some people were happy I was able to speak on the political issue, and others felt I wasn’t in the place to say so or to contribute to that conversation. So, ‘Away From the Fields’ was a lead-on from that conversation about where do we stand as the black diaspora in terms of our nationality, in terms of our heritage,” James said. She wanted her latest film to reflect on the contradictions and beauty of straddling two cultures. For James, "Away From the Fields" is an act of "reassurance for anyone that feels the same as me; that they can still reconnect with their roots." This idea of connection with the other African children of the diaspora is expressed in the film as well, in the choice of not choosing only Nigerian young men, but black men from different countries: “People in traditional wear being embraced by their peers, but also embracing their culture with them.” 

 

It’s important for James that her latest work transforms filmmaking into a process of learning and exchange. The choice of an all-male cast highlights the parallel between the older generation represented by her grandfather and the younger one. 

 

In the scene of the bow, the intergenerational theme weaves together with the topic of identity: “Over the years I’ve sensed that there is a tension between the older and younger generation and I’ve just felt that it’s so wholesome to know that there are some spaces where the respect between the elderly and the youth still remains and it's not toxic.” The two themes cleverly intertwine in the title of the short: “Away from the fields.” James explains that it comes from one of the Yoruba proverbs used by elders to pass wisdom, translating to “Home is the place of rest away from the fields.” For James, this is a reminder of the country that is going to always be home for her: Nigeria. It doesn’t matter where your “fields” are – where you develop your career and meet friends. “Our home is a place of rest, that is Nigeria, and we'll surely get back to it, even if it's not physically, it could be metaphorical” James said. This is why that final bow is so powerful, because behind the scenes and on camera, the protagonists come together doing the same traditional gesture, learning about their own culture from each other, and bringing that metaphor to life. 

 

Talking about her future, James would love to make another movie and maybe embrace a creative project in a different field. What she knows for sure is the importance of taking up as much space as she can in the creative field.“The more space women and people of colour take, the more they will feel comfortable,” James finished.