Nigeria to show Biafran war film

The film Half of a Yellow Sun, about the Biafran war, is to be shown in cinemas in Nigeria from August after film censors gave it approval.


It was set to open in Nigerian cinemas in April, but the country's film board found some scenes "objectionable".

It is not clear if changes have been made to satisfy the censors, but last month the film's distributor said it had agreed to edit some scenes.
The film is based on the best-selling novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.


More than a million people died in Nigeria's 1967-70 civil war and it still remains a sensitive subject.
It was feared by some that the film, which is seen as sympathetic to the Biafran separatist cause, could stoke ethnic tensions.

In a joint statement, the film's producers and distributor - Shareman Media and FilmOne Distribution - thanked Nigerians for their "patience and support".

"Half of a Yellow Sun is now set to strike a special chord with every Nigerian," they said.
In June, FilmOne Distribution said it had met members of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) to explain the financial consequences of making edits.


"Nevertheless, FilmOne presented to the Board edited scenes in accordance with the Board's requirement. The Board watched these edited scenes and expressed their satisfaction with the edits," their statement said.
In its list of films it approved in June, the NFVCB gave Half of a Yellow Sun, which features Twelve Years a Slave actor Chiwetel Ejiofor and Crash star Thandie Newton, an 18 certificate.