HALF OF A YELLOW SUN TO MAKE HUGE IMPACT AT CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

a scene from the movie

Chimamanda Adichie's HALF OF A YELLOW SUN is expected to make a huge impact at the Cannes Film Festival this May. Here we bring you a review of the movie by INDIEWIRE

We have taken the liberty to reproduce this review in its original form because we believe we could not have written it better. Enjoy the piece. 

"Timed to coincide with the forthcoming release of "Americanah," the third novel from heavy-hitting Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the first look at the adaptation of her prize-winning second novel "Half of a Yellow Sun" has arrived, and a handsome fellow it is too.

Featuring Thandie Newton and a bearded and dreamy-as-ever Chiwetel Ejiofor, the story follows a couple whose romance takes place against the background of the Nigeria-Biafra conflict. It's directed by first-timer Biyi Bandele, who may not have directed a film before, but comes with serious pedigree as a playwright, novelist and theatre director and is considered (along with Adichie) one of Nigeria's most important writers. Cinematographer John de Borman ("An Education," "The Full Monty") adds further credibility along with a supporting class that includes Anika Noni Rose ("The Princess and the Frog"), Genevieve Nnaji,  John Boyega ("Attack the Block") and Joseph Mawle ("Game of Thrones").

Precious little has been given away about the production so far but the presence of Ejiofor and Newton and the frankly stupendous excellence of the novel are reason enough to keep it on the radar. The clip suggests a pretty polished production and the epic qualities of the story bode well for the adaptation. A possible contender for a Cannes preview showing, expect more to emerge as Adichie hits the literary circuit hard next month for the U.S. release of her novel.

... weaving together the lives of four people swept up in the turbulence of war. Olanna (Newton) and Kainene (Rose) are glamorous twins from a wealthy Nigerian family. Returning to a privileged city life in newly independent 1960s Nigeria after their expensive English education, the two women make very different choices. Olanna shocks her family by going to live with her lover, the “revolutionary professor” Odenigbo (Ejiofor) and his devoted houseboy Ugwu (Boyega) in the dusty university town of Nsukka; Kainene turns out to be a fiercely successful businesswoman when she takes over the family interests, and surprises herself when she falls in love with Richard (Mawle) an English writer. Preoccupied by their romantic entanglements, and a betrayal between the sisters, the events of their life loom larger than politics. However, they become caught up in the events of the Nigerian civil war, in which the lgbo people fought an impassioned struggle to establish Biafra an independent republic, ending in chilling violence which shocked the entire country and the world.

The crew includes award-winning cinematographer John de Borman (An Education, The Full Monty), production designer Andrew McAlpine (BAFTA winner for The Piano), with original music by composers Ben Onono and Paul Thompson."

courtesy http://blogs.indiewire.com/