Shortly after the film adaptation of Wole Soyinka’s “Death and The King’s Horseman” into “Elesin Oba“, another of his work “The Man Died” will also be adapted into a film.

The 1972 memoir “The Man Died,” written by Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka about his time in jail, will be made into a motion picture.

Soyinka’s capture and 22-month captivity during the Nigerian Civil War are chronicled in the book.

In an interview renowned writer, Awam Amkpa stated that he had been given Soyinka’s approval to develop the film.

Mr Amkpa is the Dean of Arts and Humanities at the New York University (NYU) in Abu Dhabi and a professor of drama, social analysis, and cultural studies.

The 63-year-old affirmed that Jahman Anikulapo, a culture communicator, and the Nigerian filmmaker Femi Odugbemi are his collaborators on the project.

Mr Amkpa stated that the new project is currently in the pre-production/script workshop stage.

In addition, he said that while he is consulting his large network of contacts in the absence of a clear financing source, the New York University, where he lectures, has approved about $400,000 in seed money for the project.

He stated that “the film will be a fictionalised account of nonfiction material.”
He added that he had discussions about the idea with Mr Soyinka and other persons all around the nation.

Mr Amkpa said that they are looking through numerous era-specific biographies because a strong back story results in an “original” film.

Mr Soyinka was charged with aiding the Biafran separatists during the 1967–1970 Nigerian Civil War.

He was detained for 24 months at that time, the majority of it in solitary confinement in a 4-foot by 8-foot cell.