A documentary film titled “Ebrohimie Road: A Museum of Memory,” based on the historic bungalow on the University of Ibadan campus where Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka lived and was arrested in 1967, is scheduled for its global premiere in July as part of activities commemorating the literary icon’s 90th birthday.
The 110-minute documentary, written and directed by culture researcher Kola Tubosun and shot by acclaimed cinematographer Tunde Kelani, will make its debut on July 11, 2024, at the University of Lagos. It will be the third item on the program for a full-day scholarly event jointly organized by the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE) and the Nigeria Academy of Letters (NAL), themed “ENI-OGUN: An Enduring Legacy.”
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According to a statement on Sunday, the culture researcher, Kola Tubosun said, “Ebrohimie Road,” which features revealing interviews with the immediate family, relatives, associates, and comrades of Soyinka, will also be screened on July 20 at the WS90 celebration in London, jointly organized by the WSICE and The Africa Centre. It will thereafter move to other cultural and historical centers in Nigeria, parts of Europe, North and South America, as well as festivals across continents.
The documentary delves into the historical significance of the bungalow on Ebrohimie Road, where Soyinka was arrested in 1967 on “espionage” charges for attempting to dissuade Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu, the leader of the secessionist Biafran Republic, from going to war with the Nigerian government. This led to Soyinka’s 29-month incarceration by the Yakubu Gowon-led administration.
“It was the same bungalow located a few meters from the bustling main gate of the university campus, where Soyinka was arrested in 1967 on ‘espionage’ charges for daring to cross to the Biafra Republic to dissuade then Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu, leader of the secessionist group from going to war with the government of Nigeria,” the statement noted.
Produced by Olongo Africa with support from the Open Society Foundation and Sterling Bank Nigeria, the documentary explores how the personal became intertwined with the national, and how the unassuming campus residence bore witness to significant moments in Nigerian social, political, and literary history.
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Tubosun said, “In Ebrohimie Road: A Museum of Memory, we examine how the personal became the national, through the recollection of central and peripheral characters; how a small campus residence became witness to some of the most significant issues in Nigerian social, political, and literary history, many of which remain unresolved.”
The documentary promises to shed light on the erosion of history and a sense of place, using stories, visuals, and historical records to unearth the enduring legacy of Ebrohimie Road as a “museum of memory.”
With confirmed and potential screening dates spanning cultural centers, universities, and festivals across Nigeria, Europe, North and South America, “Ebrohimie Road: A Museum of Memory” is poised to captivate audiences worldwide with its exploration of Soyinka’s life, work, and the enduring impact of a humble campus bungalow.
