NFVCB: “Half of A Yellow Sun” Movie Release is Being Delayed Due to security Reasons
Oladunjoye Opeyemi
The National Film and Video Censors Board, NFVCB, has said that it has not set a definite date for the release of the Chimamanda Adichie’s novel adapted movie, Half of A Yellow Sun.
The chairman of the board, Patricia Bala, announced this while speaking on a radio programme on Capital Fm 92.9 on Thursday, saying that the cinema release of the film was delayed due to security challenges in Nigeria as The events in the film and book occurred during the Nigerian civil war, the Biafran war, and were depicted from the perspective of the Biafrans, the Igbos.
Half of a Yellow Sun premiered in April in Lagos and London. A nationwide release planned for later that month was delayed by the board.
Bala noted that the board had to consult security agencies to determine the security implication of approving the film as some scenes in the film were capable of bringing back sad memories and igniting fresh crisis.
Adichie had in May commented on the delay, revealing that a controversial scene in the movie was one “based on a historically documented massacre at a northern Nigerian airport” and accused the Nigerian government of denial of certain crucial aspects of the country’s history.
“Nigerians are sophisticated consumers of culture and, had the censorship board not politicised the film by delaying its release, I suspect that few people would have objected to it at all”, Adichie said.
Bala however said that the board will soon finish the review of the film and get back to the producers of the movie noting that the movie may eventually be released in its entirety, without editing, or the producers may have to delete some scenes, or the film may be delayed to a right time when it could be approved for public consumption.
