Tunde Kelani’s Cordelia screens at 30th New York African Film Festival

The period drama featuring a stellar cast is a collaborative effort.

ACE filmmaker Tunde Kelani’s latest production, ‘Cordelia’ will screen at the 30th New York African Film Festival on May 15.

The film, adapted from a novella by Professor Femi Osofisan, features Omowunmi Dada, William Benson, Yvonne Jegede, Keppy Ekpeyong, Kelechi Udegbe, Femi Adebayo, Taiwo Ibikunle and Ropo Ewenla.

The period drama set during the early 90s under military rule centres on a university professor who unwittingly becomes embroiled in a military coup. One morning, he arrives at his office worried about his wife’s strange behaviour. Two curious students soon visit him. One is Cordelia Nwaeze Peters, daughter of an army officer Colonel Nwaeze Peters, recently implicated in a military coup. As a result of the coup, there is general unrest, with students on a rampage and Cordelia’s life in danger.

The professor decides to save Cordelia’s life and becomes further enmeshed in the national crisis.

Kelani, who regularly adapts literary works to film, gave a lengthy explanation in his directorial note to the film showing at Francesca Beale Theatre, New York.

He said, “The process of bringing ‘Cordelia’ to life was a collaborative effort spanning different continents and cultures. I have always sought to promote cultural diversity in my movies and celebrate the rich heritage of Africa’s many cultures and languages. I was excited to collaborate with Professor James Anderson, the Director of Orchestral Activities at the University of Delaware and founder of the UD Cultural Fusion Initiative.

“James’ innovative Cultural Fusion Initiative allowed us to collaborate across borders and cultures to create a unique film that celebrates our diverse backgrounds. Our collaboration on the Cultural Fusion Initiative was as dramatic as the story of ‘Cordelia’ itself

“The collaboration involved two levels. The first level was in Nigeria, where ‘Cordelia’ was written by Prof. Femi Osofisan and adapted for the screen by me, with the help of a talented cast, crew, and a Nigerian composer, Michael Ogunlade. The second level took place at the University of Delaware in the US, where a premiere of ‘Cordelia’ happened. American student orchestras played the music score while the film was shown to a live audience. The project involved about seventy-five musicians, including student orchestrators and arrangers, a four-time Grammy-winning recording engineer, and the School of Music faculty members. The recorded and edited music was sent to us in Nigeria.

“The project was complex and challenging, but the outcome was worth the effort. The collaboration brought a unique perspective to the film’s music score, resulting in a compelling and captivating narrative for the audience. ‘Cordelia’ is not just my film; it is our film. It is a product of collaboration with people from different cultures and backgrounds, united by a creative force without boundaries. This project suggests peaceand harmony in our world, and I am proud to have been part of it.”

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