Nigeria Bans "Half of a Yellow Sun" in the Cinemas - Here is why?

The most awaited movie of this year in Nigeria, “Half of a Yellow Sun,” has been banned by the country’s film censorship board because the movie partially takes place during the Biafran War.

According to the director, Biyi Bandele, the movie scheduled to open in Nigeria last Friday was essentially banned as the country’s film censorship board has refused to issue the movie a certificate.

Earlier, Half of a Yellow Sun’s premier has been postponed in Nigeria.

Though, the movie which is unites some of Nigeria’s major cultural figures of civil war (also known as the Biafran War) is already showing in Britain and is scheduled to open in the United States next month.

It also had its premiere last year at the Toronto International Film Festival. And Nigerian actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, who starred in the Academy Award-winning film

“12 Years a Slave” is one of the stars in the movie. The censorship board could not be reached for comment about the film, but Mr. Bandele said officials seemed to be “jittery about its content.”

He continued: “That it deals with the Biafran War (from 1967 to 1970). That it might incite people to violence.” http://www.osundefender.org/?p=161476

The Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board, NFVCB, on Friday finally approved one of the most acclaimed movie from Africa, Half of a Yellow Sun, for wide release.

Half of a Yellow Sun was earlier delayed by NFVCB, after the board cited the current security situation in Nigeria and stated that the movie, which is a narrative of the Nigerian civil war, could incite violence.

The movie, whose novel was written by Chimamanda Adichie, was classified 18 and above by the censor's board..http://allafrica.com/stories/201407070347.html

The classification was announced Friday evening alongside over 70 other Nollywood movies. It came at a time the producers of Half Of A Yellow Sun already enlisted it for online viewing in the United States of America.