After a successful screening at the Quramo Festival of QFest 2024 in Lagos, Nigeria, “The Man Died,” a feature film inspired by Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka’s prison memoir, is set to tour international film festivals.
Although it has not yet been officially released in theaters or on streaming platforms, the film has already been showcased at prominent venues, including the Africa Centre in London in July. It was written by UK-based screenwriter Bode Asiyanbi, directed by Abu Dhabi-based Awam Amkpa, and produced by Lagos-based Femi Odugbemi for Zuri24 Media.
“The Man Died” recounts Soyinka’s 27-month imprisonment by the Nigerian government in 1967 during the onset of the civil war. At the time, Soyinka was advocating for peace between Biafra and the federal government to facilitate a negotiated resolution to the conflict.
The film serves as a deeply personal narrative, illustrating how Soyinka sought refuge from the brutality of his circumstances by retreating into his own mind. It is a poignant story of resistance, courage, and the unyielding human spirit. Throughout his ordeal of solitary confinement, torture, and deprivation, Soyinka’s determination to fight against tyranny and injustice only intensified.
Interspersed with flashbacks to his earlier life as a writer and activist, “The Man Died” highlights the profound inner strength and indomitable spirit that fuel Soyinka’s resistance.
