Awam Amkpa on Making ‘The Man Died’ in Nollywood 

A film adaptation of Wole Soyinka’s prison memoir ‘The Man Died’ is set to premiere in July, coinciding with the birth month of the literary icon. Produced by Zuri24 Media and directed by academician and filmmaker Awam Amkpa, the film features Wole Ojo as Soyinka, alongside Segilola Ogidan, Sam Dede, and other talented cast members.

In a recent YouTube clip, Amkpa provided insights into the creative process behind ‘’The Man Died.’ He talked about the creative freedom afforded to him and writer Bode Asiyanbi, allowing them to expand the storyline beyond the confines of the memoir. Amkpa also reflected on the evolution of Nollywood over the years, noting the elimination of language barriers and the industry’s growing coherence and technical prowess.

“Way back, we were vilifying Nollywood as an all-comers game. But now the film industry in Nigeria has come to a place of coherence and technical ability. We still have problems here and there but there is a general coherence and technical ability that make the stories generally accessible regardless of where people are in the world,” he said.

Amkpa further observed that the quality of storytelling in Nigeria has outpaced the audience’s expectations. “Which is a good place to be because it is leading the audience to think in a more cosmopolitan way.”

In making ‘The Man Died,’ in Nollywood Amkpa stressed the importance of authenticity in portraying Soyinka’s stories, advocating for collaboration with individuals intimately familiar with the environment that shaped the Nobel laureate and his narratives, irrespective of their skill sets.

“I have an army of former students who are big-time filmmakers in Hollywood and elsewhere that I could just call on a whim to make the film and shoot it in Nigeria but that for me, there’s no learning curve,” he said. “For me, every creative project is like going back to the basics and building back upwards. That was why for me it was very educational to come here.”

‘The Man Died’ forms part of the lineup of events slated for Soyinka’s 90th birthday.