Akeem Lasisi
For lovers of African literature and followers of Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka’s odyssey, there is an opportunity to watch the screen adaptation of his popular autobiography, ‘The Man Died’, in Lagos on Wednesday, November 13. The film starring award-winning Wale Ojo as Kongi (Soyinka), will be screened in Lagos as part of the Lagos Book and Arts Festival (LABAF) which began on Monday. While LABAF is holding at the Freedom Park, ‘The Man Died’ will be screened at The MUSON Centre, both in iconic Onikan.
Also featuring Nollywood stars that include Chidi Mokeme, Sam Dede, Norbert Young, Edmond Enabe and Francis Onwochei, the film produced by Zuri 24 Media and directed by Awam Ankpa is described as a powerful tale of resistance, courage, and the unyielding human spirit. A citation says on the project: “Set against the backdrop of Nigeria’s civil war, the film chronicles Soyinka’s imprisonment without trial by a brutal military regime determined to silence his voice. Through solitary confinement, torture, and deprivation, Soyinka’s resolve to fight against tyranny and injustice only grows stronger. Interwoven with flashbacks to his earlier life as a writer and activist, the film reveals the profound inner strength and unbreakable spirit that drive Soyinka’s resistance. ”
LABAF is one of the core projects of the Committee for Relevant Arts, powered by the arts-passionate duo of Jahman Anikulapo and Toyin Akinosho. It has proved enduring, straddling 26 eventful years with impacts across genres. One of its tricks is innovation, as evident in the introduction of the Kayode Aderinokun Poetry Prize/Competition, which was one of the opening programmes on Monday. There has also been a Book Trek centring on Soyinka’s Ake, while it also hosted students from the University of Lagos and Lagos State University on excursion.
Meanwhile, LABAF 2024 has as the theme ‘BREAKOUT: Hope is a Stubborn Thing,’ with programmes also available virtually..
It is great that the festival is dedicated to Soyinka, as it closes a year-long celebration of his 90th birthday. The continent’s first Nobel laureate, many believe, deserves all the tributes he can get based on how he has dedicated his life to the uplift of the sector, the nation and humanity in general.
In addition to the film screening, a special edition of the annual exhibition ‘Timeless Memories’, has been dedicated to him. Titled “Wole Soyinka@90: The Man Who Didn’t Die in the Face of Tyranny,’ the exhibition features audio and video installation of Soyinka, narrating his prison experience and how he survived the 22 months of solitary confinement between 1967 and 1969. The show which runs from November 12th to 17th is curated by Oludamola Adebowale.
While the Digital Youth and Social Movement 2024 has also produced winners who have been rewarded, LABAF continues till the weekend, with exhibitions, conversations, networking and performances holding daily.
