Tunde Kelani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tunde Kelani
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| Born | 26 February 1948 Lagos, British Nigeria
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| Alma mater | London Film School |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
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Tunde Kelani (born February 26, 1946), also known as TK, is a famous Nigerian filmmaker. He has been making movies for over 40 years. TK loves to create films that show off Nigeria's rich culture, especially the Yoruba way of life. He's also well-known for turning Nigerian books and plays into movies. Some of these include Koseegbe, O le ku, Thunder Bolt: Magun, The Narrow Path, White Handkerchief, Maami, and Dazzling Mirage.
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Growing Up and Early Interests
Tunde Kelani was born in Lagos, Nigeria. When he was five, he moved to Abeokuta in Ogun State to live with his grandparents. He went to Oke-Ona Primary School and then Abeokuta Grammar School.
His grandfather was an important chief in the community. This meant Tunde saw a lot of the Yoruba culture up close. He learned about their traditions, stories, and way of seeing the world.
He loved Yoruba literature and theatre from a young age. The Yoruba people had many traveling theatre groups back then. Tunde got to see many classic plays, like The Palm-Wine Drinkard and Oba Koso.
Tunde became interested in photography during primary school. He spent his time and money learning about it. After secondary school, he became a photography apprentice. Later, he studied at the Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) and the London Film School.
Starting His Film Career
In the 1970s, Kelani worked as a reporter for BBC TV and Reuters. He also worked for Nigerian TV. For Reuters, he traveled to places like Ethiopia and Zimbabwe to report on important events.
After finishing film school, he came back to Nigeria. He helped make his first film, The Dilemma of Rev. Father Michael. Tunde Kelani also worked as a cinematographer (the person who films the movie) on many Nigerian films.
In 1990, he was an assistant director and even an actor in the movie Mister Johnson. This was the first American film ever shot in Nigeria.
Turning Books into Movies
Tunde Kelani loved reading from a young age. He especially liked authors who wrote about their Yoruba heritage. When he realized that books could be turned into movies, he decided to focus on that.
Some of his favorite writers include D. O. Fagunwa, Pa Amos Tutuola, and Wole Soyinka. Many of Kelani's most successful movies are based on Nigerian books. These include Koseegbe (1995), Oleku (1997), Thunderbolt: Magun, The White Handkerchief (1998), The Narrow Path (2006), Maami (2011), and Dazzling Mirage (2014).
Mainframe Films and TV
In 1991, Tunde Kelani started his own company called Mainframe Films and Television Productions. His main goal was to turn Nigerian books and plays into movies.
His first film as a director for Mainframe was Ti Oluwa Nile (1993). This movie is still one of the best-selling Yoruba films ever. Other popular movies he directed for Mainframe include Ayo Ni Mo Fe (1994), Saworoide (1999), Agogo Eewo (2002), and The Campus Queen (2004).
One of his films, Dazzling Mirage (2014), tells the story of a person with sickle-cell disease. Kelani made this film to help people understand sickle-cell better and make informed choices.
Films Directed by Tunde Kelani
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Ti Oluwa Nile (Parts 1, 2, 3) | Starring Grace Oyin Adejobi and Kareem Adepoju |
| 1994 | Ayo Ni Mofe (Parts 1, 2) | Starring Bola Obot and Yomi Ogunmola |
| 1995 | Koseegbe | |
| 1997 | O Le Ku | |
| 1999 | Saworoide | |
| 2000 | The White Handkerchief | |
| 2001 | Thunderbolt: Magun | |
| 2002 | Agogo Eewo | |
| 2004 | The Campus Queen | |
| 2006 | Abeni | |
| 2006 | The Narrow Path | |
| 2008 | Life in Slow Motion | |
| 2010 | Arugba | |
| 2011 | Maami | |
| 2015 | Dazzling Mirage | |
| 2017 | Sis Ilujinle | |
| 2021 | Ayinla | |
| 2021 | Cordelia |
See Also
- List of Nigerian film producers
- Mainframe Film and Media Institute
