Tunde Kelani’s ‘Cordelia’ To Screen At 30th New York Film Festival

Veteran Filmmaker Tunde Kelani is one of the few African producers whose latest work, ‘Cordelia’ will feature at the 30th New York African Film Festival on 15th May.

The Director of the Festival, Mahen Bonneti, in a statement on Saturday, said Mr Kelani’s film will screen at 7.30 p.m. alongside the short film “Employee of the Month” by Goga Clay.“

“Cordelia”, set in Nigeria during the early 90s under military rule, is an adaptation of a work of fiction by renowned dramatist and poet Femi Osofisan.

The 75-year-old founder and director of Mainframe Productions stated that it is a product of collaboration with people from different cultures and backgrounds, united by a creative force without boundaries.

The movie features talented Nigerian casts, including Omowunmi Dada, Keppy Ekpeyong, Yvonne Jegede, William Benson, Kelechi Udegbe, Femi Adebayo, Taiwo Ibikunle and Ropo Ewenla.

The New York African Film Festival is an annual festival running for over 30 years that showcases a selection of top African movies every year, intending to celebrate the African movie culture.

Synopsis

Cordelia is a period drama adapted from Femi Osofisan’s novella, set in Nigeria during the early 90s under military rule.

The story follows 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 and is soon visited by two curious students, one of whom is Cordelia Nwaeze Peters, daughter of a popular Colonel Nwaeze Peters of the Nigerian Army was 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.

General Peters, encouraged by the professor’s altruistic action towards his daughter, can foil the coup. After settling into a new position as head of government, General Peters offers the professor a cabinet position as compensation for saving his daughter’s life.