No ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’, as NFVCB approves 35 films
The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has verified and approved 35 films for the month of May — but the widely-anticipated Halt of a Yellow Sun is missing on the list.
According to acting head of the corporate affairs of the board, Mr Caesar Kagho, 19 of the films approved were produced in English language; 8 were in Yoruba, 7 in Hausa, and one in Bini.
In the groupings, which ranged from 12 to 18 years of age, two of the films — Millennium Parents and Parents Guard, both in English language productions — were categorised for 12-year-olds.
Fifteen movies were classified for viewers under 15, while others were classified for for 18-year-old viewers.
They include Women’s Right, Native Fowl and Pains of Poverty (English); Osenamie (Bini); Mata Da Kudi and Tarayya (Hausa); Akobi Mi and Igba Iwase.
Others are Bankwana, Da. Masoyi (Hausa); My American Dream (English); Olabisi Oloyinbo (Yoruba); What a Pain (English); Fayo Yemi (Yoruba), Egg of Justice (English), Itoro’s Tears (English).
For movies classified ’15’, the board advised customers to be mindful of the imitable technique, strong language, and rituals used in the movies.
It further advised that for movies classified ’18’, the customers should be mindful of the strong language, rituals, fetish, violence, imitable technique and prejudice showcased in the movies.
The still-snubbed Half of a Yellow Sun — starring Oscar nominee, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandie Newton — was scheduled to be premiered in Nigeria on April 25, 2014, but NFVCB denied the movie certification, claiming that “certain aspects of the film have some unresolved issues, which have to be sorted out in accordance with the law and laid-down regulations”.
Good. I am happy that Nigerian film regulators still have their moral compass right. We cannot tolerate values that are inimical to our culture and upright well being, even though the rest of the world wish to tow that line.