‘The Man Died’ to Screen at ADIFF Chicago – THISDAYLIVE

Vanessa Obioha

As the African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) continues this weekend in Chicago, the critically acclaimed Nigerian feature film ‘The Man Died’ is set to screen tomorrow, June 15, at FACETS Cinematheque.

The screening, scheduled for 3:30 p.m., is part of the festival’s three-day showcase of stories from Africa and its diaspora, running from June 13 to 15.

Directed by Nigerian-American scholar and filmmaker Awam Amkpa, ‘The Man Died’ is inspired by Wole Soyinka’s harrowing prison memoir and will be shown in its extended 134-minute version — a cut not previously screened at earlier festivals.

Amkpa, a professor of drama and film at New York University, is expected to engage the audience in a post-screening conversation — a format that previously earned praise at the Luxor African Film Festival, where the film won “Best Film That Tackles an Important African Issue.”

Produced by Femi Odugbemi of Zuri24 Media, the film captures Soyinka’s 27-month solitary confinement during the Nigerian Civil War and the psychological toll of unjust incarceration. Wale Ojo leads the cast as Soyinka, alongside Sam Dede, Norbert Young, and international actors Christiana Oshunniyi and Abraham Awam-Amkpa.

In its invitation, the ADIFF organisers noted: “We believe this powerful film aligns perfectly with our mission to showcase diverse and thought-provoking cinema from Africa and the African diaspora.”

Established in 1993, the Harlem-based minority-led not-for-profit, the ADIFF, “presents, interprets and educates about films that explore the human experience of people of colour all over the world in order to inspire imaginations, disrupt stereotypes and help transform attitudes that perpetuate injustice.”

After Chicago, ‘The Man Died’ is set to screen in August at ADIFF Washington, D.C., with further screenings lined up across Europe, including the 2025 African Theatre Association conference in Germany and academic screenings planned in Italy, the UAE, the UK, and the U.S. The film is also being reviewed by major global streaming platforms and distributors.

Since premiering in Lagos last July in celebration of Soyinka’s 90th birthday, the film has toured multiple international festivals, earning awards at AFRIFF, ENIFF, Luxor, and the 2025 AMVCA, where Amkpa won Best Director.