Nigerian Censor board wants 'Half of a Yellow Sun' to be re-edited

It’s funny that a film that was produce for Nigeria, by Nigerians about Nigeria’s past history has been shown everywhere in the world except Nigeria.

The movie adaptation of Ngozi Adichie Chimamanda’s “Half of a Yellow Sun” will still not be showing in Nigeria, close to two months after it made its debut in cinemas worldwide.

Nigerian censors in their latest statement on the film said the movie could undermine national security. They therefore want cuts to allow the film, partly set during Nigeria’s 1960s civil war, to be shown to Nigerians.

A statement Wednesday by the Censors Board said the board was still awaiting a response from the exhibitors to a May 27 letter “requiring the distributor to expunge/edit some clearly stated objectionable aspects.”

There was no immediate response from the British-Nigerian producers of the movie which made its debut in Britain in April and in the United States in May.

Nigeria at the moment is threatened by an Islamic uprising in the northeast, jeopardizing unity between the mainly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south.

It is not clear yet what areas of the film the censors board want edited out. And whether the producers of the film will want to challenge the board in the court.

The film was shown to a select audience in Lagos on 12 April, 2014.