Movie trailer of Ekwensi’s ‘The Passport of Mallam Ilia’ released

The animation movie trailer of Cyprian Ekwensi’s classic novel, ‘The Passport of Mallam Ilia’ has been released. It started with a ‘Sneak Peek’ in March this year where a scene in the prologue was revealed. However, on November 12 the full trailer, showing a fight scene, was uploaded on You Tube which already has almost […]

The animation movie trailer of Cyprian Ekwensi’s classic novel, ‘The Passport of Mallam Ilia’ has been released.

It started with a ‘Sneak Peek’ in March this year where a scene in the prologue was revealed. However, on November 12 the full trailer, showing a fight scene, was uploaded on You Tube which already has almost two thousand views.

Earlier this year, Mr. Ferdinand Adimefe, Executive Producer and CEO of Magic carpet Studios, one of Nigeria’s leading animation studios, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) they had acquired full rights of the book from HEBN PLC Publishers. He described ‘The Passport of Mallam Ilia’ as “one of the most widely read young adult novels of the late 90s,” adding that “It will provide an exciting twist to an already familiar story while exposing the younger generation to the remarkable work of the late iconic writer.

“The Plot of the novel which explores colonial Northern Nigeria, and tells a story of love, loss and revenge, provides the right element for an amazing movie,” he said.

Published in 1960, twelve years after it was written, ‘The Passport of Mallam Ilia’ remains one of the few twentieth century books that still appeals to young readers. It tells the story of Mallam Ilia who spent a greater part of his life seeking revenge for wrong done to him by one Usman. Though he was able to avenge the wrong done to him, it came at a very high price.

Ekwensi’s is author of ‘People of the City’, published in 1954, ‘Drummer Boy’ (1960) including many short stories, radio and television scripts, and children’s books. In 1968, he received the Dag Hammarskjöld International Prize in Literature.