Words Carinya Sharples
Shooting on the film adaptation of Half of A Yellow Sun, the acclaimed novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has now wrapped up in Nigeria.
The eagerly awaited production, which stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton and AMAA-winner Genevieve Nnaji, was filmed in Calabar, Nigeria. Adichie´s bestselling story is set during the Nigerian-Biafran war during the 1960s.
Filming ended on 23 June, just a few days before the start of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Commission for Africa conference in Calabar, at which author Adichie was a special guest.
British-Zimbabwean actress Newton, star of films including Mission Impossible II and Crash, will take on the role of Olanna, with Dream Girls´Anika Noni Rose as her sister Kainene. British-Nigerian Golden Globe nominee Ejiofor plays the role of revolutionary professor Odenigbo, with John Boyega (who appeared in last year´s Attack The Block) as his houseboy Ugwu. Game Of Thrones´s Joseph Mawle joins the cast as English writer Richard.
Cobhams Asuquo and singer-songwriter Keziah Jones are also said to be involved in the production, producing original music for the soundtrack.
The film, adapted for screen by Nigerian theatre director, playwright and novelist Biyi Bandele, is set to come to the big screen in 2013.
halfofayellowsun.com