Real reason ‘Half Of A Yellow Sun’ release is delayed

Many Nigerians have continued to wait anxiously for the release of the epic film, Half Of A Yellow Sun in cinemas in Nigeria, which was initially slated to be premièred on April 25, 2014, but information reaching us revealed that the delay was as a result of the Nigeria Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) asking some parts of the movie be edited, especially the scenes of the war which the author, Chimamanda Adichie, kicked against.

The Board has reiterated that it reserved the right to control the quality of any movie before it would be screened and assured that public that: “To correct reports that are already circulating, we have not banned the movie, we are just doing out duty.”

Meanwhile, the author of Half Of A Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Adichie, recently accused Nigeria of denial in relation to the events of the Nigerian Civil War.

In an article for an American literary magazine, The New Yorker, last week Thursday, Adichie questioned why the movie based on her critically acclaimed book has been delayed for release in Nigeria.

“This week, Nigerian government censors delayed the release of the film adaptation of “Half of a Yellow Sun” because, according to them, it might incite violence in the country; at issue in particular is a scene based on a historically documented massacre at a northern Nigerian airport,” Ms. Adichie wrote.

Adichie revealed that the Board had left it up to the Nigeria State Security Service (SSS) to decide whether the movie will be released or not.
“I find this absurd – security operatives, uniformed and alert, gathered in a room watching a romantic film – but the censors’ action is more disappointing than surprising, because it is part of a larger Nigerian political culture that is steeped in denial, in looking away,” she said.

Adichie further stated that: “But we cannot hide from our history. Many of Nigeria’s present problems are, arguably, consequences of a historical culture.”

But, the Nigerian producers of the film, Shareman Media and the Nigerian distributors of the feature film, FilmOne Distribution, states: "The public release of Half Of A Yellow Sun in Nigeria remains postponed due to the fact that the Nigeria Film and Video Censors Board has not yet certified the film. The release date will be announced once the Board certifies the film for release to the public.”

They apologised for the delay. “We are deeply appreciative of the overwhelming interest shown in the film by Nigerians everywhere. Please be assured that we are doing everything within our means to achieve certification and release as soon as possible."

The film will be released in the United States on May 14, 2014.