Tony Okuyeme 
.…To be screened today, Wed, April 23, and Tues May 13
The Man Died, the acclaimed feature film inspired by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka’s prison memoir of the same title, continues its global festival journey as it screens on Wednesday at the Costa Rica African & Diaspora Film Festival, running from April 23 to May 18, 2025.
The festival, organized by the Foundation for Art and Culture for Development, celebrates Afro-descendant cultures and narratives that have been historically underrepresented in Latin American cinemas.
In a formal invitation, the Foundation’s Executive Director, Carol Patricia Britton Gonzalez, confirmed that The Man Died will be screened in the Limon province—home to a large Afro-Costa Rican population—and in the capital city, San José.
“We are confident that your work will significantly contribute to our goal of amplifying Afro-descendant narratives, which are often absent from movie theatres, cultural centres, and universities in Costa Rica,” Dr. Gonzalez wrote in a letter to the film’s producer, Femi Odugbemi.
She noted that, in addition to its existing Arabic and French versions, the film will be subtitled in Spanish to broaden accessibility and facilitate circulation across other Latin American festivals.
The Costa Rican screening follows The Man Died’s strong presence at the 7th Jo’Burg Film Festival in March, where it earned nominations for Best African Film, Best Editing, and Best Film. That same month, the film was showcased at the Pan African University in Atlanta, USA.
Next, the film heads to the 32nd New York African Film Festival, scheduled for May 7–29, co-presented with Film at Lincoln Center (May 7–13), Maysles Cinema (May 15–18), and Brooklyn Academy of Music (May 23–29). The film is set to screen at Lincoln Center on Tuesday, May 13.
According to Jahman O. Anikulapo, Director/Co-Founder of iREP and Associate Producer of the film, The Man Died has been invited to headline the African Theatre Association’s (AfTA) annual conference in Stuttgart, Germany this July.
Plans are also underway for special educational screenings at major institutions including New York University, Harvard University, Ithaca College, Oxford University, and the House of World Culture in Berlin.
Three major global streaming platforms are reportedly reviewing the film for acquisition, alongside international distribution networks.
Written by Bode Asiyanbi and directed by Awam Amkpa, The Man Died chronicles Soyinka’s 27-month solitary confinement during Nigeria’s civil war in 1967. Soyinka was imprisoned for his efforts to broker peace between the secessionist Biafra and the federal government. The film explores his descent into isolation, his confrontation with madness, and his eventual triumph through introspection and creativity.
The cast features prominent Nigerian actors, including Wale Ojo as Wole Soyinka, Sam Dede, Norbert Young, Francis Onwochei, and Edmond Enaibe. International cast members include UK-based Christiana Oshunniyi and US-based Abraham Awam-Amkpa.
Though not yet released commercially, The Man Died premiered in July 2024 in Lagos during the celebration of Wole Soyinka’s 90th birthday. It has since been showcased at several prestigious platforms including the Quramo Festival of Words, the Lagos Book and Art Festival, and festivals in London, Accra, and Norwich.
The film is a production of Zuri24 Media, founded by Femi Odugbemi—a veteran storyteller, producer, and media scholar whose credits include Tinsel, Battleground, and Covenant. Odugbemi is also the Executive Director of the iREPRESENT International Documentary Film Festival and a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Director Awam Amkpa, a Nigerian-American professor at New York University in both New York and Abu Dhabi, is an accomplished filmmaker, playwright, and scholar of postcolonial and diasporic arts.
As the global tour of The Man Died continues, the film stands as both a cultural artefact and a rallying call for justice, memory, and the enduring power of the human spirit.
