Òrúnmìlà Epistemic Reproduction: Nigerian film-philosophy via divinity and orality

This article concerns the idea that film philosophy and adaptation share a root in divinity and orality that is unraveled through the mysteries of Òrúnmìlà (the Yorùbá god of divination, knowledge, and wisdom). In this essay, I discuss film philosophy, in the Nigerian context, by examining Half of a Yellow Sun (dir. Biyi Bandele, 2013, Nigeria and United Kingdom), a film adaptation of Chimamanda Adichie's novel of the same title, through the philosophical lens of Òrúnmìlà epistemic reproduction. In the film, I argue that the knowledge of Yorùbá/Òrúnmìlà representational philosophy in Bandele's consciousness is employed in advancing a national agenda and thus deviates from Adichie's emphasis on Igbo cause in her novel. Given the example of Bandele, a Yoruba writer and filmmaker, this article argues that some art creators are inspired by their worldview. It develops a new take on film philosophy and adaptation via orality and divinity and establishes the ancient Òrúnmìlà epistemic reproduction as an alternative framework for film philosophy and adaptation in Africa and beyond.