‘The Man Died’ the movie focused on Africa’s first Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka’s period of incarceration in a Nigerian prison on the nation’s civil war, is screened at the Costa Rica African & Diasporan Film Festival on April 23.
Founded by the non-profit organization, the Foundation for Art and Culture for Development, the Costa Rica African and Diaspora Film Festival holds April 23 to May 18, 2025.
The festival’s executive director, Carol Patricia Gonzalez said the choice of the award-winning film is significant as a means of amplifying Afrodescendant narratives which are often absent in Costa Rica’s movie theatres, cultural centers and universities.
The film, Gonzalez said will not only enhance the festival programme but strengthen connections between filmmakers and audiences across the Global South. With the film already dubbed in French and Arabic, the festival took on the responsibility of translating the documentary in Spanish language to enable its circulation in other libero-American festivals.
Written by Bode Asiyanbi and directed by actor, playwright, Awam Amkpa, ‘The Man Died’ is produced by veteran filmmaker Femi Odugbemi’s Zuri 24 Media production company with Nigerian and international cast – Wale Ojo (Wole Soyinka), Sam Dede (Yisa), Norbert Young (Prison Superintendent), Francis Owochei (Prison Comptroller), Edmond Enaibe (Commissioner), Christiana Oshunniyi (Laide Soyinka), Abraham Awam Amkpa (Johnson) among others.
Alongside several awards and nominations, the film has collated since its global tour of festivals kickstarted last year, ‘The Man Died’ is scheduled to screen on May 13, at the 32nd New York African Film Festival (May 7-29); is to be co-presented at Film at Lincoln Center same day (FLC, May 7-13); Mayles Cinema (May 15-18); and the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) May 23-29.
