She expressed that he knew it was going to be the last words that he was writing. "And you can really feel the energy of that," she said.
Temi Bandele, the daughter of the late Nigerian filmmaker and writer, Biyi Bandele, believes her father was content with his last work, Yorùbá Boy Running.
She expressed that he knew it was going to be the last words that he was writing. "And you can really feel the energy of that," she said.
"He wanted it to be the beginning of multiple conversations that would happen when he wasn’t here." This perspective highlights her father's intention behind the novel and the weight of his creative vision before his untimely passing in August 2022, UK Guardian reports.
According to the report, the renowned Nigerian writer and filmmaker Biyi Bandele took his own life in August 2022, at the age of 54, leaving behind a legacy of outstanding literary and cinematic contributions.
Just days before his tragic passing, Bandele had been actively working on his latest novel, exchanging revisions with his editor, Hannah Chukwu, in early August 2022.
Bandele's impressive body of work includes the critically acclaimed film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's "Half of a Yellow Sun”, stage productions of classics like Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart", poetry collections and novels, including "Burma Boy," a powerful narrative based on his father's experiences as a British soldier during World War II.
Biyi Bandele's sudden departure shocked the literary and film communities. He was mourned by colleagues, friends, and admirers worldwide.
His talent transcended genre, medium, geography, and period.
Temi's early exposure to art, courtesy of her father, laid the groundwork for her understanding of his creative process. At five, she accompanied her father to an exhibition of Benin bronzes, where he encouraged her to draw the pieces. This experience exemplifies how creativity was fundamental to Biyi Bandele's worldview.
Temi’s mother and producer, Andrea Calderwood, describes Bandele's novel, "Yorùbá Boy Running," as epic, reflecting the grand scale on which Bandele lived his life.
When asked if Bandele's relentless pursuit of artistic challenges would have allowed him to find satisfaction with the completed novel, given that he committed suicide, Temi offers insight: “He knew it was going to be the last words that he was writing. And you can really feel the energy of that; he knew that this was going to be the last story that he wrote. And he made sure that we knew that it was finished, and he made it very clear that he wanted it to be published.”
Temi's perspective highlights Bandele's deliberate approach to his final creative endeavor, leaving a lasting legacy through his art.
“He really wanted it to be the beginning of multiple conversations that would happen when he wasn’t here,” says Temi. “I think he was ready to give that to the world.”
Yorùbá Boy Running recounts the life of Samuel Àjàyí Crowther, who was abducted and enslaved in the 19th century, later returning to Nigeria and becoming the first black bishop ordained by the Anglican church.
Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate, praised the vivid and imaginative style of the novel, which diverges from traditional slave narratives to provide a deeply personal and intimate portrayal of capture, enslavement, and colonialism in West Africa.
Paterson Joseph, an actor and novelist, first encountered Bandele while playing the lead in the 1993 television play Not Even God Is Wise Enough. Joseph recalls how Bandele’s writing broke away from cliches often seen on British television, creating complex, humorous characters in absurd situations.
He describes Bandi’s writing style as maverick, bending the rules of storytelling.
Temi Bandele, an artist who recently graduated from Ruskin College in Oxford, reflects on her father's influence on her creative pursuits.
She recalls how he encouraged her to explore a wide cultural palette from a young age, submitting her writing to competitions without her knowledge. The relationship between Biyi and Temi was deeply creative, with Temi often assisting him in research, borrowing books for him from the London Library.
Andrea Calderwood, Temi's mother, shares that Biyi encouraged Temi to believe in limitless possibilities, emphasizing the importance of creativity.
Kwame Kwei-Armah, Bandele’s longtime friend, notes his expansive worldview, which blended his Nigerian and British identities and contributed to his unique storytelling approach.
Chiwetel Ejiofor, who starred in Half of a Yellow Sun, highlights Bandi’s talent for weaving different narrative styles. He appreciated how Biyi explored philosophical and intellectual dynamics in pre-civil war Nigeria while infusing humor and distinct aesthetics into his storytelling.
Biyi's creative spirit extended to his parenting, as he encouraged Temi to engage with art from an early age. "Yorùbá Boy Running is an epic novel," Calderwood says. "And I think he lived his life on a grand scale."
Temi reflects on whether her father's creative restlessness would have allowed him to find satisfaction in completing the novel. She believes he was content, fully aware that it would be his final story.
Temi hopes that Yorùbá Boy Running sparks meaningful discussions in her father's absence.
"He really wanted it to be the beginning of multiple conversations that would happen when he wasn’t here," she states.
Calderwood adds that Biyi had been telling stories for 40 years, and Temi believes he had much more to say.
Biyi Bandele's passing was announced by Temi on August 8, 2022. She expressed her heartbreak over his sudden and unexpected death, stating, "Biyi was a prodigiously talented writer and filmmaker, as well as a loyal friend and beloved father."
She emphasized his profound impact as a storyteller and requested privacy for the family as they grieved.
A renowned novelist, playwright, and filmmaker based in the UK, Bandele's directorial debut, Half of a Yellow Sun, received acclaim. He also directed the TV special documentary FELA – Father of Afrobeat and co-directed Blood Sisters, Netflix's first Nigerian original series.
Bandele studied Dramatic Arts at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and was set to direct Elesin Oba, the screen adaptation of Wole Soyinka's Death and the King's Horseman, which was scheduled to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2022.
https://www.theguardian.com/