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After months of censorship negotiations with the Nigerian Video and Censors Board, Half of a Yellow Sun (HOAYS) was released in Nigeria on August 1st.

HOAYS is a film adaptation of Chimamanda Adichie’s 2007 novel, a 1960s period piece chronicling the carnage of the Nigerian civil war. The story blends the romantic entanglements of two sets of lovers with a powerful account of life in the time of war. 

With a budget of about 8 million dollars, HOAYS is officially the most expensive Nigerian film ever made, but of course, that also puts pressure on the film to do well in the box office.

Nigerian veteran filmmaker, Tunde Kelani, saw the film last week in Lagos and had this to say:

“Half of A Yellow Sun is a brilliant film after all. I wanted to get the first ticket but settled for No 7. If you love Nigeria and your history, you must watch HOAYS now in cinemas!”

Kelani likes it. What of the general Nigerian viewership?

The director of the film, Biyi Bandele, posted this announcement on Facebook:

News just in from Nigeria:

*Half of a Yellow Sun, which opened on August 1st, was top of the charts in every cinema in Nigeria.
*Ticket sales of Half of a Yellow Sun accounted for over 50% of total box office takings.
*Half of a Yellow Sun beat Marvel/Disney’s Guardian of the Galaxy, starring Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana to achieve this feat. 
*Exit polling shows audiences are happy with the film and word of mouth should gradually spread – ‘

Excerpted from a state-of-play email from FilmOne, the film’s distributors in Nigeria.

There you have it. Don’t miss out! If you are in Nigeria, pop by a movie theater for what everyone is calling a rare cinematic experience. Get tickets HERE.