Behind The Curtain How Acclaimed Filmmaker Met His Untimely End

Behind The Curtain How Acclaimed Filmmaker Met His Untimely End

New information has surfaced regarding the passing of acclaimed novelist, playwright, and Nollywood filmmaker Biyi Bandele.  Bandele passed away on August 9, 2022, in Lagos at the age of 54.His daughter, Temi Bandele, announced his death in a statement but did not disclose the cause.…CONTINUE READING 

However, a report by The Guardian UK published on Sunday revealed that Bandele died by suicide in August 2022. The article noted that Bandele took his own life a day after discussing his novel, Yorùbá Boy Running, with his editor, Hannah Chukwu, in early April 2022. Following their conversation, he sent her a revised version of the manuscript before his tragic decision.

The newspaper reported, “The 54-year-old filmmaker, playwright, and novelist ended his life the next day. He leaves behind an impressive and diverse body of work, including the film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun, which took seven years to complete; stage adaptations of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko, and Lorca’s Yerma; as well as poetry, screenplays, and several novels, including Burma Boy (2007), which narrates his father’s harrowing experiences as a British Army soldier during World War II.”

Bandele’s Yorùbá Boy Running follows the life of Samuel Àjàyí Crowther, who endured a perilous journey in the 19th century, from abduction and enslavement to abandonment in Sierra Leone, ultimately returning to Nigeria. Crowther’s story culminated in a distinguished career as the first Black bishop ordained by the Anglican Church.

Before his passing, Bandele directed and adapted the screenplay for Elesin Oba: The King’s Horseman in 2022, a film based on Wole Soyinka’s classic drama, Death and the King’s Horseman. This adaptation was produced for EbonyLife Films and released on October 28, 2022. The film, produced by Mo Abudu, James Amuta, Judith Audu-Foght, Adeola Osunkojo, and Heidi Uys, was distributed by Netflix and featured a talented cast, including Odunlade Adekola, Shaffy Bello, Deyemi Okanlawon, Omowunmi Dada, Jide Kosoko, Kevin Ushi, Jenny Stead, and Mark Elderkin, among others.