Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has revealed his discomfort with the upcoming film adaptation of his 1972 memoir, The Man Died, which recounts his harrowing 22-month imprisonment during Nigeria’s military regime. In an exclusive interview with CNN, the 90-year-old literary giant expressed concerns over having his life depicted on screen, admitting that the thought of others watching his personal experiences unfold makes him uneasy.
“Turning anything in my life into something other people can watch pains me,” Soyinka said, sharing his sentiments for the first time about the film. The adaptation, directed by Nigerian filmmaker Bode Asiyanbi and produced by Femi Odugbemi, aims to bring to life Soyinka’s experiences during the Nigerian Civil War, including his time in solitary confinement under General Yakubu Gowon’s government. The film stars Wole Ojo, Chidi Mokeme, Sam Dede, and Nobert Young.
While Soyinka has reservations about the portrayal of such a traumatic period, he was actively involved in some aspects of the film’s production, particularly in helping filmmakers locate settings that reflected the realities of his life. “I assisted them in trying to locate a house in which I hid and operated during the civil war,” he recalled, emphasizing the secrecy and activism that defined his life during that era.
Despite playing a role in the film’s development, Soyinka reminisced on the psychological toll of his 22 months of incarceration. He described the isolation as both physically and mentally draining, recounting how he was deprived of basic materials to sustain his intellect. “It was a very testing period for me. Denied books, denied paper—nothing at all to sustain my mind,” he reflected, revealing how he used bones from his food as writing tools and soil to create ink, all while maintaining his mental agility by engaging in complex tasks like geometry and trigonometry.
This adaptation marks a significant moment in Nigerian cinema, as it brings attention to a pivotal period in Soyinka’s life—one that heavily influenced his activism and literary career. His time in solitary confinement during the Nigerian Civil War fueled much of his future work, exploring themes of oppression, survival, and justice. The film, initially scheduled for a July release, seeks to depict these struggles while honoring his legacy.
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Though Soyinka’s discomfort with the film is evident, The Man Died is anticipated to draw a wide audience eager to learn more about his resilience and contributions to African and global literature. As the first sub-Saharan African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, Soyinka remains one of Africa’s most celebrated voices, known for his fearless advocacy against oppression and injustice.
