The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar mourns author and veteran filmmaker Biyi Bandele Demise. The Half of a Yellow Sun director who passed away on the 7th of August, 2022 in Lagos.
The Politician took to his social media handles to express how stunned the death of the filmmaker is to Nigerians and the entertainment industry at large. He said:
The sad passing of Biyi Bandele is a rude shock not just to the Arts and Entertainment circle but to all Nigerians who appreciate talent and skill.
Like many younger people who embrace the Art, Biyi’s timeless contributions to Arts, especially his newest work due to be released in a couple of weeks, will remain evergreen – and his legacy too.
I condole with his family and pray to God to grant them the fortitude to bear the loss, resting in the knowledge that their grief is shared by many of his countrymen and that our art culture is diminished by his death. -AA
Biyi Bandele Thomas was born on 13 October 1967 in in Kafanchan, Kaduna State to a Burma Campaign veteran, Solomon Bandele-Thomas. Bandele would spend 18 years in the north-central and later moved to Lagos. In 1987 he was granted admission to study drama at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in Osun State, Nigeria.
While still aiming to make a name in the writing world, Bandele relocated to London in 1990 at the age of 22 with two of his original manuscripts for two novels. Once in London, his books saw light of day and were published and he was stated a commission by the Royal Court Theatre.
Bandele’s form of writing subsume theatre, fiction, journalism, film and television etc. His writings includes;
- The Man Who Came in From the Back of Beyond, Bellew, 1991
- The Sympathetic Undertaker: and Other Dreams, Bellew, 1991
- Marching for Fausa, Amber Lane Press, 1993
- Resurrections in the Season of the Longest Drought, Amber Lane Press, 1994
- Two Horsemen, Amber Lane Press, 1994
- Death Catches the Hunter/Me and the Boys, Amber Lane Press, 1995
- Chinua Achebe‘s Things Fall Apart (adaptation), 1999
- Aphra Behn‘s Oroonoko (adaptation), Amber Lane Press, 1999
- The Street, Picador, 1999
- Brixton Stories/Happy Birthday, Mister Deka, Methuen, 2001
- Burma Boy, London: Jonathan Cape, 2007. Published as The King’s Rifle in the US and Canada (Harper, 2009).
Biyi Bandele made his directorial debut film in the movie, Half of a Yellow Sun based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The movie was screened in the Special Presentation section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. His is also know for top successful movies that broke the Nollywood box office like, Fifty which was a massive part of the 2015 London Film Festival. He also directed the third season of the popular MTV drama series, Shuga. In 2022, he directed the first Netflix Nigerian Original series Blood Sisters.
Bandele was announced as the director of the new Netflix and Ebonylife TV co-production Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman the screen adaptation of Wole Soyinka‘s stage play Death and the King’s Horseman, set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2022.
He was to appear in the upcoming documentary film which is being produce and directed by Tiza Joseph (Mr. Joe) titled; Nollywood – The Struggles and Growth of an Industry which also features Femi Odugbemi, Francis Onwoicho, Zeb Ejiro, Nobert Young, Ajai Lycth, Victor Okhai, Jahman Anikulapo, Hilda Dokubo, Segun Adefila, Tunji Sotimirin, Tunde Kelani and more.
Film Discography by Biyi Bandele-Thomas
- Half of a Yellow Sun – feature film, 2013
- Fifty – feature film, 2015
- Shuga – television series, Season 3 (Shuga Naija), 2013
- Blood Sisters – Netflix Nigerian Original series, 2022
- Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman – Ebonylife TV Netflix cop-production, feature film, 2022
