Half of a Yellow Sun

The graphic title – Half of a Yellow Sun – refers to the flag of the short-lived republic of Biafra. This Nigerian-British co-production is based on the book with the same title, written by Nigeria's literary superstar Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

British-educated twin sisters Olanna and Kainene return to their home country Nigeria as the country gains its independence in the 1960s. But life in the privileged classes is quickly turned upside-down when civil war threatens to tear the country apart, and the sisters' lives take different turns. Bandele succeeds in depicting the contrasts of the twins' privileged upper class life and the hardship and toil of war in Biafra.

In a country where the civil war has nearly been a taboo, Half of a Yellow Sun was welcomed by Nigerians as an important contribution to the understanding of Nigeria's modern history. hfs

London-based, Nigerian director, novelist and playwright Biyi Bandele was born in Northern Nigeria in 1967. He has worked in theatre, TV, film, and radio. In Britain, he is known for his stage adaption of Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe's legendary book Things Fall Apart. Half of a Yellow Sun is his directorial debut.