HALF OF A YELLOW SUN

We follow twin sisters Olanna and Kainene from their return to Nigeria from the UK, through to the end of the Nigerian civil war some years later. The relationships between the sisters and their lovers form an emotional story against the background of the war between Nigerian tribes.

The twins come from a very wealthy family, but the war causes them to end up sheltering in a refugee camp. The change in their circumstances is striking, and so is the way in which each sister reacts to it. Kainene is a seemingly cold, calculating and clever woman, who still dresses to the nines while bartering for food for her fellow refugees. Anika Noni Rose gives her a grating drawl over her British accent that emphasises her detached manner. Her emotions are so subtle that it is a shock when she finally lashes out. Thandie Newton, on the other hand, wears Olanna’s heart on her sleeve. We really feel her heartbreak when she witnesses the murder of family members, and her realisation that she can’t have children.

Chiwetel Ejiofor’s (‘12 Years a Slave’) performance is superb, and John Boyega as devoted houseboy Ugwu deserves a mention. The violence of the civil war is penetrating, particularly a scene in the airport, as even though we feel the tension, we’re shocked at its sudden barbarity. Joseph Mawle, as Kainene’s lover Richard, delivers a gut-wrenching reaction to the senseless violence he sees there.

The colours and rhythm of Nigeria and the passion of the people are used to great effect by first-time director Biyi Bandele, who also wrote the screenplay. Bandele also uses interesting effects to orient the audience, such as briefly overlaid maps to show the characters’ journey as they flee the oncoming army. Nigerian music lends a sense of energy and joy; the score elsewhere in the film is subtle.

Issues of racism, identity, colonialism and social justice are touched on, and give us pause. Infidelity, tribal tradition and feminism all appear, but are secondary to the love stories between the sisters and their men, and their relationship to each other.