60 Years Anniversary of Biafra: 1967-2027

60 Years Anniversary of Biafra: 1967-2027 

The Republic of Biafra was a partially recognised state in West Africa that declared independence from the Federal Republic of Nigeria and existed from 1967 to 1970.

Its territory consisted of the former Eastern Region of Nigeria, predominantly inhabited by the Igbo ethnic group, but with sizable chunks of the region belonging to the Ijaw, Efik, Ibibio and other minorities.

Biafra was established on 30 May 1967 by Igbo military officer and Eastern Region Governor Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu under his presidency, following a series of ethnic tensions and military coups after Nigerian independence in 1960 that culminated in the 1966 anti-Igbo pogrom.

General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu , 4 November 1933 – 26 November 2011).

Major-General Philip Efiong (also spelled Effiong, 18 November 1925 – 6 November 2003) .

 

Motto: "Peace, Unity, and Freedom"

Anthem: "Land of the Rising Sun"

Government
Unitary presidential republic

1967–1970
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu

• 1970
Philip Effiong
Vice President
 
• 1967–1970
Philip Effiong
• 1970
Office Vacant

• Upper house
Council of Chiefs
• Lower house
Consultative Assembly
Historical era
Cold War
• Independence declared
30 May 1967
• Rejoins Federal Nigeria
15 January 1970.

Area
1967
77,306[3] km2 (29,848 sq mi)

Population
• 1967
13,500,000

GDP (PPP)
estimate
• Total
$40.750 million
Currency
Biafran pound

General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was buried with full military honours, including a 21-gun salute from the Nigerian Army, and thousands of people attended his funeral. 

View BIAFRA: The Photo Documentary on https://nigeriansreportng.blogspot.com/2013/11/biafra-untold-story-in-pictures.html

Read the book 

https://amzn.to/3PU9hwj

Memories of a Refugee Child

Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima Speaks on his memories of Biafra

After the blood and thunder of one of the most terrible civil wars in Africa, about a million corpses were left scattered all over the ruins of Biafra, by the roadside, bushes and shallow graves and millions of refugees harrowing in refugee camps besieged by the invading Nigerian army whilst the defeated Biafran soldiers fled. The nightmares still haunted one of the survivors, a refugee child who nearly died of kwashiorkor. And I have to tell you my eyewitness account, because I cannot erase the scars of the trauma of every refugee child. This is our untold story from the haunting memories of the horrors of refugee children in Biafra. 

When the So Called Masterclass is not a Masterclass

When the So Called Masterclass is Not a Masterclass

"What makes a work of art a masterpiece is not the craft.
But the Imagination of the artist."
- Ekenyerengozi MichaeI Chima.

Some years ago, I was invited to participate in a Masterclass on  Documentary Filmmaking by the Public Affairs Section of the Consulate of the United States of America in Lagos in the Documentary Showcase Program with American documentary filmmakers. Prominent Nigerian filmmakers in Nollywood were also invited. But the workshop was rushed by the American filmmaker teaching what was nothing new or different, but documentary filmmaking for beginners and what the Nigerian filmmakers already knew. He was teaching us what students in high school were taught in America.

Then the workshop ended abruptly without the completion of the most important sessions.

The American filmmaker started  the presentation of Masterclass  certificates to all the participants. But I refused to accept my own certificate with my name already written on it.

"We never had any masterclass on documentary filmmaking," I said.

The others were compelling me to accept it. I reluctantly collected it. But I dumped it later in the drawer of my desk in the office of Supple Communications Limited.

Finis.

#art

#artist

#masterpice

#craft

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#workshop

#filmmaking

#filmmakers

#Nollywood

#America

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#documentary

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#presentation

#certificate

#office

RECOMMENDED BOOKS BY EKENYERENGOZI MICHAEI CHIMA

Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers.

Poetry in Motion Picture

One of the best scenes from my documentary film, "Lagos in Motion".

Featuring two of the most beautiful actresses in #Nollywood, international beauty pageant queen @celinaideh and @nunuojong at the Elegushi beach in #Lekki during the first phase of the principal photography in 2016.

I call my style of filmmaking, "Poetry in Motion Picture".

Filmmaking is the art of storytelling in motion picture.
The Art of filmmaking is the horse pulling the cart which is the craft of filmmaking.
Not every filmmaker is an artist.
The greatest filmmakers are artists.
Ask James Cameron.
Ask Steven Spielberg.
Ask Spike Lee.
Ask Francis Ford Coppola
Ask Quentin Tarantino
Ask Woody Allen
Ask Oliver Stone
Ask Clint Eastwood
Ask Martin Scorsese
Ask Sofia Coppola
Ask Sir Steve Rodney McQueen and coming home to Nigeria:
Ask Dr. Ola Balogun
Ask Femi Odugbemi
Ask CJ "Fiery" Obasi.

#filmmakers
#Filmmaking
#art
#poetry
#horse
#cart
#motionpicture
#Lagos
#Lekki
#elegushibeach
#documentaryfilm
#documentary
#photography
#cinematography
#Nollywood
#spielberg
#coppola
#tarantino
#scorsese
#spikelee
#jamescameron
#clinteastwood
#stevemcqueen
#woodyallen
#sofiacoppola

- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
The first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry published since 2013.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Co14SjNo5EY/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Big News from NOLLYWOOD

 Big News from NOLLYWOOD

Franca, Cynthia and Celina from the revised version of the "Lagos in Motion" photo book of the documentary film to be released soon on Amazon for worldwide book and film distribution. The first time for a Nigerian documentary film with the photo book to be released simultaneously.

The documentary film and photo book by Ekenyerengozi Michael.Chima, Publisher/Editor of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series will be available online and offline.

#Lagos #Nollywood #book #travel #photobook #travelphotography #photography #filmmaking #movies #documentary #film #Ekenyerengozi #Michael #Chima

Video: Nightfall in Lagos

Nightfall in Lagos

Jibowu on the Lagos Mainland in Nigeria on Tuesday night of November 22, 2022.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, author of "Lagos in Motion: Sights and Sounds of Africa"s Largest Megacity" distributed by Amazon and producer/director of the documentary film in progress since 2016 with more than 40 hours of footage so far. Final principal photography to start before Christmas.

#Lagos

#Mainland

#Nigeria

#Jibowu

#Africa

#Megacity

#documentary

#film

#photography

#Amazon

#publish

#producer

#director

#nightfall

#November

#Tuesday

#Christmas

Sand and Sea by Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

Sand and Sea is a short documentary  from my "Lagos in Motion" documentary film that is still in progress started in 2016. The location is the Elegushi beach in Lekki

.