“The Man Died,” a powerful feature film inspired by Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka’s harrowing Prison Notes, is set for simultaneous screenings across two continents โ the United States and Europe โ between August 1 and 3. This unique triple-screening comes on the heels of its successful showing on July 12 in Stuttgart, Germany, as part of the 2025 African Theatre Associationโs conference.
The 105-minute film, which recently marked its first anniversary since release, will kick off its multi-city engagement on August 1 at 8:30pm at the AFS Cinema. This screening is a highlight of the Third Annual Pan African Film Festival in Texas, presented by the Austin Film Society. The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF), established in 1992 by Hollywood luminaries Danny Glover, the late JaโNet DuBois, and Executive Director Ayuko Babu, is renowned for its dedication to promoting Black narratives and imagery through film, visual art, and other creative expressions.
Two days later, on August 3, “The Man Died” will make its Washington, D.C., debut at 4pm at the African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF). The screening will be held at the George Washington University Student Center, located at 800 21st St NW, Washington, DC 20052. A special guest at this event will be Abraham Awam-Amkpa, the Hollywood-based actor and director who portrays Femi Johnson, the insurance magnate and intimate friend of the protagonist, Wole Soyinka, in the film.
Coinciding with the D.C. screening, “The Man Died” will also be shown on August 3 at the House of the Culture of the World (HKW) in Berlin, Germany. This screening is part of a three-day programme celebrating African renaissance in arts, culture, and legacy, an event that will also feature a talk by the film’s subject, Wole Soyinka himself. The film’s director, Awam Amkpa, who is also participating in the programme, will engage in a post-screening conversation with the audience.
The film’s profound narrative is eloquently summarised on the PAFF website: “Based on the harrowing prison memoir by Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, ‘The Man Died’ is a powerful tale of resistance, courage, and the unyielding human spirit. Set against the backdrop of Nigeria’s civil war, the film chronicles Soyinka’s imprisonment without trial by a brutal military regime determined to silence his voice. Through solitary confinement, torture, and deprivation, Soyinka’s resolve to fight against tyranny and injustice only grows stronger.”
The synopsis further elaborates on the film’s interwoven flashbacks to Soyinka’s earlier life as a writer and activist, revealing the “profound inner strength and unbreakable spirit that drive Soyinka’s resistance.” His clandestine writings, smuggled out of his cell on scraps of paper, become “a beacon of hope and a call to action for others living under oppression.” The film is hailed as “not just a personal story but a universal testament to the enduring power of truth and the necessity of standing up against tyranny. It is a poignant reminder that, in the face of oppression, silence is not an option, and the human spirit can never truly be extinguished.” The film stars prominent actors Wale Ojo and Sam Dede.
Penned by acclaimed Nigerian script/screenwriter Bode Asiyanbi, who is based in the United Kingdom, “The Man Died” is available in both a 105-minute version and a longer 124-minute cut for academic exposition. The cast features a stellar lineup of Nigerian screen talents, including Wale Ojo as Wole, Sam Dede as Yisa, Norbert Young as the Prison Superintendent, Francis Onwochei as the Prison Controller, and Edmond Enaibe as the Commissioner. International actors include London-based Christiana Oshunniyi (Laide Soyinka) and Los Angeles-based Abraham Awam-Amkpa (Johnson).
Produced by Zuri 24 Media, “The Man Died” delves into Wole Soyinkaโs 27-month incarceration by the Nigerian government in 1967, at the onset of the civil war. Soyinka famously sought a truce between Biafra and the Federal Government of Nigeria to facilitate a negotiated settlement. The film is fundamentally a personal account of his mental fortitude, as he found refuge from brutality by retreating into his own mind, at times teetering on the brink of madness, yet meticulously recording his “journey of motionlessness” on smuggled paper and pencil.
Since its release in July 2024, coinciding with Soyinka’s 90th birthday, the film has garnered significant attention in global film and educational circuits. It was a star attraction at the African Theatre Association (AfTA) annual conference in Stuttgart, Germany, and is being considered for special screenings at prestigious educational institutions worldwide, including Florence, Italy; Abu Dhabi, UAE; New York University, Harvard University, and Ithaca College in the USA; Oxford University in the United Kingdom; and the House of World Culture in Berlin, Germany. Furthermore, it is currently under review by at least three major global streaming platforms and international distribution channels.
“The Man Died” began its global tour with a “special premiere” in Lagos in July, marking Soyinka’s 90th birthday. It then moved to London as part of the Wole Soyinka at 90 celebration, co-organised by the Africa Centre and the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE). Subsequent screenings included the African Film Festival in London and an educational screening at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. It was also featured on the โAccra Streamfestโ bill of the โLabone Dialogues,โ hosted by New York University, NYU Accra.
Domestically, the film has enjoyed a series of successful screenings, including at the Quramo Festival of Words (QFest 2024) and the Lagos Book & Art Festival (LABAF). It also featured prominently at the African Film Festival (AFRIFF), where it secured the Best Scriptwriting Award, and at the Eastern Nigeria International Film Festival (ENIFF), earning the Best Audience Choice Award. Internationally, it received the โBest Film That Tackles an Important African Issueโ at the Luxor International Film Festival. The film has also received nominations for Best Feature Narrative Award at the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) and Best African Film, Best Editing, and Best Film at the JoโBurg Film Festival.
The film’s director, Awam Amkpa, is a distinguished Nigerian-American professor of drama, film, and social and cultural analysis at New York University in New York and Abu Dhabi. An accomplished actor, playwright, and curator, Amkpa is the author of “Theatre and Postcolonial Desires” and has directed numerous film documentaries and curated photographic exhibitions.
The film’s producer, Femi Odugbemi, is an acclaimed storyteller, content producer, filmmaker, and media scholar. As the Founder/CEO of Zuri24 Media Lagos, he has an extensive career spanning over 25 years in the creative industries, with credits in feature films, drama TV series, and documentaries. Odugbemi is also the Co-Founder/Executive Director of the IREPRESENT International Documentary Film Festival Lagos and a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.