Grammy-winning director explores his Nigerian grandfather's role in the Biafran war
Summary
Meji Alabi, a Grammy-winning director, created a documentary about Nigeria's civil war, also called the Biafran war, which lasted from 1967 to 1970. The film features stories and rare footage from survivors and his grandfather, who fought in the federal army during the conflict that caused millions of deaths.Key Facts
- The Nigerian Civil War happened between 1967 and 1970 due to ethnic tensions, mainly involving the Igbo people seeking independence as Biafra.
- Meji Alabi is a Grammy-winning director known for working with global artists like Beyoncé and Burna Boy.
- The documentary was made with Meji’s uncle, Leke Alabi-Isama, whose father (Meji’s grandfather) was an army commando in the war.
- The war caused between 500,000 and 3 million deaths, many of them children, and was one of Africa’s bloodiest conflicts.
- The war was the first televised humanitarian disaster, showing graphic images of suffering, especially starvation.
- Nigeria only recently included this war in the national school curriculum, and many Nigerians learn about it mainly through family stories.
- The film aims to show different perspectives of the war from survivors now in their 70s and 80s.
- The documentary reveals that both sides suffered greatly and highlights how Nigeria has struggled to fully face its history.
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