Poet, linguist, and filmmaker Kola Tubosun has earned another remarkable accolade with his documentary, Ebrohimie Road: A Museum of Memory, which won Best Documentary at the Africa-USA International Film Festival in California. The festival, held from November 18-19, 2024, celebrated storytelling across Africa and the diaspora.
In a heartfelt Facebook post on November 19, Tubosun expressed his gratitude:
The body is tired but the heart is full. Ebrohimie Road’ now belongs to the world. A story conceived and labored on over geographical, cultural, political, and personal spaces now finds resonation in its own sphere, within diverse hearts, away from me.
Released in July 2024 to honor Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka’s 90th birthday, the documentary sheds light on Soyinka’s time at the University of Ibadan. It centers on the house where he lived, was arrested, and returned after two years of solitary confinement.
Critic Toni Kan, writing for The Lagos Review, described the film as “crisp and evocative,”adding that its greatest achievement is in humanizing Soyinka by exploring his personal life beyond his literary genius. The documentary features intimate interviews with his family, including his children, sister, and ex-wife, providing fresh insights into the life of one of Africa’s most revered writers.
The Africa-USA International Film Festival recognized other outstanding works, including:
• Best Short: L’ai-je bien coupée(Senegal) by Amelie Mbaye
• Best Animation: Dawn(Cameroon) by Gary Telly Jeannot
• Best Actress: Amelie Mbaye in Frontières(Senegal)
• Best Film & Best Actor: Safari in Conakry(Guinea) by Dominique Philippe, starring Cecil Omar
Tubosun’s Ebrohimie Road continues to captivate audiences worldwide, serving as a bridge between memory and history, and a tribute to Soyinka’s enduring legacy.
