Tunde Kelani’s Cordelia Selected For Viewing @ New York African Film Festival

‘Cordelia’, the latest work of the brilliant and veteran filmmaker, Tunde Kelani has selected to screen at the 3oth New York, African Film Festival this May.

In a letter from the festival addressed to the film director, Tunde Kelani, director of the film festival (2023), Mahen Bonneti, said the film ‘Cordelia’, alongside a short film Employee of the Month by Goga Clay was selected to screen at the festival starting May 15 at the Lincoln Center.

Expressing his delight at the film’s selection Kelani said ‘it is a product of diverse cultural backgrounds united by a creative force without boundaries’. “During the production of the film Cordelia, I exchanged series of letters with Professor James Anderson. In one of my letters, I jokingly suggested a different title for the film, ‘A Baby with A Dozen Mothers?’. To my surprise, he responded positively saying, “Sounds good. She has only one papa. I hope you (Anderson) are proud of this as I am,” said the 75-year-old moviemaker.

‘Cordelia’ is a thought-provoking movie set in early 90s Nigeria during the military rule. It is an adaptation of a fiction work by renowned playwright and poet, Femi Osofisan.

The story follows a university professor who unwittingly becomes embroiled in a military coup. One morning, he arrives at his office worried about his wife’s strange behaviour and is soon visited by two curious students, one, the daughter of a popular Colonel Nwaeze Peters of the Nigerian Army, recently implicated in a military coup. This leads to many events that makes the movie a must see.

Cast include Omowunmi Dada as Cordelia, Williams Benson as Dr Adekunle, Yvonne Jegede as Remi and Keppy Ekpeyong as Colonel Nwankwo Peters. Other cast members include Kelechi Udegbe, Femi Adebayo, Taiwo Ibikunle and Ropo Ewenla. The film screen written by Bunmi Ajiboye, executive produced by Tayo Oladimeji and Kunle Adebiyi, and directed by Tunde Kelani.