A Grammy-winning director has broken years of silence on her family’s painful past with a new documentary that reveals the hidden role of her Nigerian grandfather in the Biafran war. The film, backed by British production funds, premieres this week and is already stirring long-buried memories in the diaspora community.
The director, who grew up in London, said she only learned of her grandfather’s involvement after his death. “He never spoke of the war. It was a taboo. But I found his diaries and letters in a locked box. That started this journey.”
The Biafran war, which raged from 1967 to 1970, claimed up to three million lives, mostly from starvation. The conflict remains a sensitive subject in Nigeria, where government policy still shapes who tells the story. For the director, making the film was not just artistic but personal. “It’s about understanding the cost of conflict for ordinary people. My grandfather was a trader, not a soldier. But the war chose him.”
British creative funding bodies, including the BFI and BBC Storyville, have backed the film as part of a push for more diverse histories. The director said this support was crucial. “British institutions are beginning to realise that these stories matter. Our grandparents built this country too.”
The film interweaves personal archive footage, interviews with survivors, and spoken-word performances from Nigerian poets. It will screen at festivals across the UK and Nigeria later this year. For the director, the aim is simple. “I want young people to know that their heritage is not just trauma, but resilience. And that silence does not heal.”
Reactions from the Nigerian diaspora have been swift. Community groups in Manchester and London have called for screenings to be accompanied by mental health resources. A spokesperson for the Nigerian High Commission in London said the film was “an important contribution to historical understanding”.
As the director prepares for the premiere, she hopes the film will open doors for more untold stories. “There are thousands of grandfathers and grandmothers whose voices are lost. This is just one. But it’s a start.”
