“Half Of A Yellow Sun” movie sets audience in different moods

By ADA DIKE

Friday, April 11, 2014 is a day many journalists will not forget in a hurry. It was the day, a film, Half Of A Yellow Sun, which is an adaptation of Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel, was premiered for the first time in Nigeria at Silverbird Cinemas, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Half of A Yellow Sun, an epic love-story was directed by prolific UK-based Nigerian playwright, Biyi Bandele and produced by Andrea Calderwood (HBO’s Generation Kill, The Last King of Scotland: winner of three BAFTAs and an Oscar).

Synopsis

Half Of A Yellow Sun, a novel published in 2006 and was awarded the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2007, is a tale of two women during Nigeria’s independence and Nigerian-Biafran War between 1957 and 1970.

The film explores the tale of twin sisters Olanna (Thandie Newton) and Kainene (Anika Noni Rose) from a wealthy Nigerian family. They are daughters of a rich businessman who follow different paths.  Returning to a privileged city life in newly independent 1960s Nigeria after their expensive English education, the two women make very different choices.

Olanna shocks her family by abandoning her family in Lagos and going to live with her lover, a university professor and a revolutionary activist, Odenigbo (Chiwetel Ejiofor),  who fathers a child by another woman and his devoted houseboy Ugwu (John Boyega) in the dusty university town of Nsukka.

Kainene turns out to be a fiercely successful businesswoman when she takes over the family interests, and surprises herself when she falls in love with Richard (Joseph Mawle), an English writer, who is in Nigeria to teach.

Preoccupied by their romantic entanglements, and a betrayal between the sisters, the events of their lives loom larger than politics. However, they become caught up in the events of the Nigerian civil war, in which the lgbo people fought an impassioned struggle to establish Biafra as an independent republic, ending in chilling violence which shocked the entire country and the world.

Olanna and Kainene flee to the south-eastern region of Nigeria where the Republic of Biafra is declared during the civil war. Olanna accepts Odenigbo’s illegitimate daughter as her own and as they flee. They have to live in increasing poverty, while Kainene moves from running a major company for her father to overseeing a refugee camp. The story celebrates the two ladies’ strength in the face of adversity. They were divided by way but united by love.

A sweeping romantic drama, Half Of A Yellow Sun takes the sisters and their lovers on a journey through the war which is powerful, intensely emotional and, as the response of readers around the world has shown, it is a story which can touch everyone’s heart.

Produced by Andre Calderwood, Sandra Obiago, Yewande Sadiku and Mukhtar Bakare, the film features actors such as Gloria Young, Onyeka Onwenu, Genevieve Nnaji, OC Ukeje, John Boyega, Anika Rose, Tina Mba, Wale Ojo and Thandie Newton.

Comment

Viewers wept and gnashed teeth while watching this film, especially, at the scenes the war erupted, when the Igbo were being slaughtered, when Olanna’s mother in-law (Onyeka Onwenu) was maltreating and threatening not to allow her son to marry her, when the bombs began to explode in the eastern part of the country during their wedding reception, when the news of Odenigbo’s mother’s death reached him, When Odenigbo’s houseboy, Ugwu was almost killed and the news spread that he has been killed and when Kainene went missing. The film indeed, arouses one’s emotion and makes one to understand that love triumphs over every challenge. Olanna had a choice to travelled out and escape suffering when her mother left Lagos and traced her to the east to travel with her through Cameroon to London so that they would be safe till the end of the war but she refused to follow her mother.

Alos, Kainene discovered that her fiancé, Richard, was unfaithful to her by having an intimate relationship with Olanna at Nsukka, but forgave them.

The audio and video quality of the movie was clear.

 Onyeka Onwenu’s portrayal of Odenigbo's mother, a key character in the movie reminded many viewers about the plight of many ladies in the hands of their mother in-law, but it seemed everyone was excited when she told Olanna in Aba that she should marry her son, Odenigbo. Thandie Newton, who played Olanna in the movie, was a perfect match to Odenigbo in their interpretation of characters. Her ability to interpret her role perfectly well as Olanna makes the movie more interesting. Similarly, Anika Noni Rose, a driven woman who has to tackle her own challenges really fit in as Kainene in the movie. In fact, movie lovers and fans of the novel will surely enjoy the film adaptation of Half Of A Yellow Sun.

Though some viewers complained that there were many romantic scenes in the film, the film is not about conflict but purely a story about some of the challenges people pass through to put their relationships and families together.

Present at the film premiere and press conference last week Friday among others include: Biyi Bandele, OC Ukeje, Gloria Young, Tina Mba, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Reginald Ofordile, Yewande Sadiku, Sandra Obiago, Kene Mparo and Reginald Ofodile.

Director’s comment

According to the film director, Biyi Bandele, Half of A Yellow Sun

tells a story about people falling in love and the sacrifices you have to make sometimes when you are in a relationship. “It is about a generation of Nigerians who grew up in the 1960s, which is when Nigeria along with most African countries gained independence. And this was a generation of Africans, of Nigerians, who were so imbued with confidence, enthusiasm, optimism about the future of the country and of Africa. Before the end of that decade things began to unravel before them, around them, and the dream they had for that country becomes very complicated. It’s essentially a love story," said Biyi Bandele.

The playwright and novelist, Bandele revealed that he came across Adichie’s book soon after it was published and it had a dramatic impact on him, as he explains: “I ran into Chimamanda in 2005 in London and she told me about the book. I was completely bowled over by the sheer scale of it. Chimamanda’s writing is phenomenal. I have never encountered characters like Olanna, Kainene and Odenigbo.”

 The book held a particular poignancy for Bandele as he outlines. “Because I was born in Nigerian during the Nigerian civil war, it is a subject that has always fascinated me and I have always wanted to see a book or film about the war."

He thought the story would make a great film, and his immediate thought was to send the book to Andrea Calderwood, who had recently produced Kevin Macdonald’s “The Last King Of Scotland”. As Bandele continues; “She read it and came back a week later and said, yes, I agree it will make a great movie.

“We had a crew from about 23 countries and made a movie we are proud of. I have seen people weeping and laughing to these amazing characters. I had a great team. We did a research and that was it!”

Bandele further revealed that “Half of a Yellow Sun was shot in the Tinapa Studios in Calabar and in various locations in Creek Town, and employed several hundreds of local residents. The technical quality of the Film demonstrates that it is possible to make a high quality production in Nigeria with the appropriate budget and technical input. The Film was officially invited to screen at several high-profile international film festivals in recognition of its ground-breaking quality.

“The Film is directed by a Nigerian and based on a book written by a Nigerian about events that occurred in Nigeria. The bulk of the funding came from Nigeria, and the film was shot in Nigeria, with large numbers of Nigerian cast and crew. The success of the Film will require the support of all Nigerians, to ensure that many more projects that “tell our own stories” can access the required funding.

“The Nigerian Premiere is proudly sponsored by Etisalat, the Wheatbaker Hotel and Arik Air.”

Shareman Media, the Nigerian producer, and FilmOne Distribution, the Nigerian distributor of the feature film Half of a Yellow Sun, announced that the highly-anticipated film will be released in all Nigerian cinemas soon.

It had its world premiere at the 38th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Canada to great applause, and subsequently premiered in Europe at the BFI London Film Festival, London. The Film will be released in cinemas in Australia from March 27, in the UK from April 11, and in the US in the early summer.

About the cast:

Chiwetel Ejiofor - Odenigbo

UK based actor, Chiwetel Ejiofor who acted as Odenigbo in Half Of A Yellow Sun, while answering questions from the press, said his parents hail from Enugu but he was born and brought up in London. “I love Nigeria, please don’t make mistake about that. I was raised within Nigerian family and household so it was easy for me to speak English, using Igbo accent,” said Chiwetel.

He explained further that it was the result of the civil war that he was born in London. “Several years we talked about making a film in Nigeria, internationalize the market, we know there is so much, there’s a handful of energy and ability in Nigeria.

“And, for those of us that were born overseas, we want to get back into all of that and try to work together and make films and internationalize what is a wonderful market community.”

Chiwetel also acted in Steve McQueen’s Oscar winning Twelve Years A Slave, alongside Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt and Paul Giamatti. Ejiofor’s film career dates back to 1996, when Stephen Spielberg cast him in the critically acclaimed AMISTAD, alongside Morgan Freeman and Anthony Hopkins. He returned to the big screen in Stephen Frears’ 2001 thriller Dirty Pretty Things for which he won Best Actor at the British Independent Film Awards and the Evening Standard Film Awards. In 2008 his performance in the title role of Michael Grandage’s Othello at the Donmar Warehouse alongside Kelly Reilly and Ewan McGregor won him Best Actor at the Olivier Awards and the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. His other stage credits include Roger Michell’s Blue/Orange in 2000, and in the same year Tim Supple’s Romeo and Juliet in which he took the title role. In 2012, he co-starred in Salt, with Angelina Jolie

and Liev Schreiber.

Ejiofor balances his film and television commitments with his theatre work. In summer 2013, he was seen in Joe Wright’s production for The Young Vic, A Season in the Congo. In addition to his acting career, Ejiofor has also directed a short film, Slapper, which was screened at the 2008 Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Thandie Newton – Olanna

Thandie Newton made her film debut alongside Nicole Kidman in 1991’s

Flirting. In 1994,Neil Jordan cast her as Brad Pitt’s maid in Interview With The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles also starring Tom Cruise. Newton gained international recognition in the Merchant Ivory production of JEFFERSON IN PARIS in which she played Jefferson’s slave, co-starring with Nick Nolte and Gwyneth Paltrow. Newton is actively involved in the V-Day foundation. In 2011 she attended the opening of the City of Joy in Bukavu, DRC. It houses and supports women survivors of sexual violence and provides them with opportunities to develop their leadership skills through innovative programming. On February 14th this year, she was actively involved in

One Billion Rising; The Biggest Mass Global Action To End Violence Against Women & Girls In The History Of Humankind; Newton also spoke at the Ted Global Conference in 2011 on the topic of “Embracing Otherness”, which has been viewed over a million times.

Anika Noni Rose – Kainene

Anika Noni Rose shot to prominence in her Tony Award winning performance in the 2004 Broadway musical - Caroline or Change. Her first major film role came in 2006 with Dreamgirls in which she co-starred with Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy. The film received an AFI ensemble award, as well as a SAG Award nomination and both the soundtrack and her song ‘Patience’ were nominated for Academy Awards. In addition to the Tony Award, Rose has also received The Theater World Award, The Clarence Derwent Award, a Drama Desk nomination, the Los Angeles Critics’ Circle

Award, an Ovation Award and an Obie Award. Other stage work includes Juliet opposite Orlando Bloom with Gustavo Dudamel conducting Tchaikovsky live at the LA Phil, Maggie in Deborah Allen's Broadway revival of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, opposite James Earl Jones and Phylicia Rashad, Footloose, the Off-Broadway production of the Laura Nyro musical Eli's Comin' and the recent revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Company for the NY Philharmonic and PBS.

Joseph Mawle - Richard

Joseph Mawle's first television role was Sir Tificate in the BAFTA-winning series Sir Gadabout, the Worst Knight in the Land (2002) for CITV. Mawle came to national recognition through the BAFTA winning drama Soundproof (2007), which won him a breakthrough nomination at the Royal Television Society Awards. Mawle's film credits includes the short film After Tomorrow, Heartless, Made In Dagenham, The Awakening (2011),The Cold Light Of Day, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, Shell and many more. Soon he begins principal photography in Ron Howard’s In The Heart Of The Sea.

John Boyega - Ugwu

John Boyega is best known for his leading role in Joe Cornish’s BAFTA nominated Attack The Block (2011), a South London set zombie thriller in which Boyega starred with Jodie Whittaker. He has also been seen in Junkhearts (2011), a drama starring Eddie Marsan, Tom Sturridge and Romala Garai.

 Boyega has taken leading roles in TV productions including Spike Lee’s Da Brick for HBO and the BBC’s My Murder, based on a true story about the gangland death of a London boy. Boyega has recently filmed BBC drama The Whale, a dramatisation of events that inspired Moby Dick. He has so far been nominated for a British Independent Film Award, an Empire Film Award, an Evening Standard Film Award and the Critics Choice Award for Most Promising Newcomer.

Genevieve Nnaji – Miss Adebayo

Genevieve started her film career in 1998 and became the first actor to be awarded Best Actress at the maiden edition of the prestigious African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in 2005. Her popularity also transcends Nigerian shores. In 2009, she made history by being the only African actress to be profiled on The Oprah Winfrey Show. In 2010, she was featured as a ‘Connector of the day’ on ‘CNN Connect’ and soon afterwards she was profiled on CNN's ‘African Voices’. In 2011, she received National Honours from the President of Nigeria, and was named a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).

Onyeka Onwenu - Mama

Onyeka Onwenu is a multi talented artiste whose work as a inger/songwriter has earned her a place in the ‘Hall Of Fame’ of Nigeria's best known and admired musicians.

In a career spanning over 32 years, she has recorded some of Nigeria’s

most memorable hits, and has collaborated with artistes including King Sunny Ade. She was awarded the Nigerian national honour Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR), and plays ‘Developmental Music’, often raising awareness about social issues related to peaceful coexistence, family planning and the well being of women and children.

As an actress, Onyeka Onwenu's contribution to the growth of Nigeria's film industry has earned her widespread recognition, including the prestigious AMAA Award. As a journalist, she wrote and presented the widely acclaimed 1984 BBC/NTA production Nigeria: A Squandering of Riches. It remains the definitive film about corruption in oil rich Nigeria.