April 30th, 2014
Nigerian release of HALF OF A YELLOW SUN movie ‘postponed’ in Nigeria
The opening of the film Half of a Yellow Sun has been “postponed” in Nigeria by censors amid fears that the sentiments expressed in the film might incite tribal uprisings in the country that has been shattered by the consequences of war since the Biafran conflict nearly 40 years ago.
Half of a Yellow Sun, based on the Orange prize-winning novel of the same name by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, stars Academy-award nominee Chiwetel Efiofor and Thandie Newton in a tense drama set agains the backdrop of the Nigerian Civil War in the 1960s. The film is currently showing in selected New Zealand cinemas.
Although officials deny the film has been banned, the delay in the issuing of a censor’s certificate means the film’s distributors cannot risk showing the film in public places.
“We are very shocked and surprised. It is a complete mystery why it has been delayed,” award winning director Biyi Bandele told The Guardian. “It is a cautionary tale that says that war is never ever a solution”. He went on to say that the censors have had seven months to raise concerns that have not been forthcoming. The film, which made the top ten in the UK box office over Easter weekend, has been received as a well-balanced epic love story set against the backdrop of war.
The Biafran war remains a contentious subject in Africa’s most populous country, with estimates of between 1 to 3 million people having lost their lives through conflict or starvation. The censor’s office said that the delay in issuing a certificate was caused by “regulatory issues”.
Described by critics in New Zealand as a “gripping and incredibly interesting” (Radio New Zealand) “bold and admirable film that grapples with massive events” (Dominion Post) and “engrossing as a potted history 4*” (Sunday Star Times) “an ambitious film worthy of attention” (New Zealand Herald) and by David Stratton as “a triumph 4*” Half of a Yellow Sun is a story of resilience and hope told with a warmth and jaunty vibrancy that depicts life and its fortunes in a deeply personal and intimate portrayal.