Nigerian artist, Biyi Bandele was one of the greatest writers of his generation. His name has been stamped on some of the most revolutionary works of literature and film about Nigeria and Nigerians. On 7 August 2022, his daughter Temi Bandele announced in a Facebook post that he had died.
At the time, the cause of his death was not made public. But a recent article in the Guardian UK says that the writer and filmmaker had died from suicide. Further details were not given in the article.
Why was he regarded as one of the greatest writers and filmmakers of Nigerian descent? We’ve curated the seven works that defined his career as both a filmmaker and novelist.
Yoruba Boy Running
This is the most recent work of his available to the public. It is a novel based on the life of Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the famous linguist and clergyman who returned to Nigeria as a freed slave. It has been revealed that he handed over the manuscript for Yoruba Boy Running a day before he died. It was published this year.
Fifty
Fifty has been regarded as one of the movies that ushered Nollywood into the golden age of big-budget productions. It was produced by Tope Oshin from Mo Abudu’s Ebony Life Films but was directed by Bandele. Fifty, which is available on Netflix, follows four middle-aged women living in Lagos. The cast includes Dakore Egbuson-Akande, Omoni Oboli, Ireti Doyle and Nse Ikpe-Etim.
Elesin Oba: The King’s Horseman
Elesin Oba is Bandele’s last film available to the public. He both directed it and wrote the screenplay. Elesin Oba is based on Wole Soyinka’s play Death and the King’s Horseman. It’s available on Netflix and is produced by Ebony Life Films. The story follows Elesin, who customarily has to commit suicide after his king dies to continue his service to him in the afterlife. The cast includes Odunlade Adekola, Shaffy Bello, Deyemi Okanlawon, Omowunmi Dada, Brymo and Joke Silva.
Half of a Yellow Sun
Half of a Yellow Sun is a film based on the book of the same name by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It follows two sisters, Olanna and Kainene as they fight for love and laughter in the throes of the Biafran war in the late ‘60. The cast includes Thandie Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Genevieve Nnaji, Chiwetel Ejiofor and John Boyega. Bendele directed it and it’s available on YouTube.
Burma Boy
Burma Boy is a novel written by Bandele that is set in the Second World War. It loosely follows Bandele’s father’s life as a young soldier fighting in the war. It has been described as, “a horrific, vividly realised account of the madness, the sacrifice and the dark humour of the Second World War’s most vicious battleground. It’s also the moving story of a boy trying to live long enough to become a man.”
The Man Who Came in from the Back of Beyond
The Man Who Came in from the Back of Beyond is one of Bandele’s first novels published in 1991. It follows Maude, a teacher who writes a novel he shares with his students. The book captures, “modern Nigeria with its decaying standards, militarism, and poverty.”
Not Even God Is Wise Enough
Not Even God Is Wise Enough is a TV play written by Bendele. It follows Busi, a champion boxer, and rock star who escapes from court, where he is facing charges of assault, and embarks on an odyssey that brings him before his estranged father. It is directed by Danny Boyle and the cast includes Paterson Joseph, Mark Strong and George Harris.
