THINGS FALL APART: The book, the film and the man Pete Edochie

My father was the first person to tell me the story of Okonkwo in the book Things Fall Apart before i even knew it existed. "A book that has become one of the best things that ever came out from Africa".  My father loved the story, so it was a regular moonlight tale for us. He told me the story so very often but up till this day, i cant really remember the reason he kept telling me the story but i remember vividly that i learnt something from it. This morning, i had the urge of reminiscing my father's lovely tale and the book itself. In this post, i have put together quite a bundle of goodies for you my blog pal: you have my persoanl take on the book, a short clip from the film, an inside story about how Pete Edochie got the job and hmmmmm......wait for it..........i also have a free copy of the book to give out... lets go there.



Back to my fathers stories of this book, I learnt that no matter how we deny it, our parents have huge life-shaping influences on who we become. in this great book, seen and noted widely as the archetypal modern African novel in English, one of the first to receive global critical acclaim, Okonkwo's life is massively shaped by his father's weak and poor life.

Okonkwo's father, Unoka, was a lazy and wasteful man. He often borrowed money and then squandered it on palm-wine and merrymaking with friends. Consequently, his wife and children often went hungry. Within the community, Unoka was considered a failure and a laughingstock. He was referred to as agbala, one who resembles the weakness of a woman and has no property. Unoka died a shameful death and left numerous debts. Okonkwo despises and resents his father's gentle and idle ways. He resolves to overcome the shame that he feels as a result of his father's weaknesses by being what he considers to be "manly"; therefore, he dominates his wives and children by being insensitive and controlling. But this leads him into a greater misfortune than the one that befell his father, in a bid to avoid being called a weakling, Okonkwo kills Ikemefula, a young man he has come to love. Ikemefula was Okonkwo's son best friend who was given to his village as a peace offering, . This becomes the beginning of Things Falling Apart.

In 1987, the book was adapted into a film ( ararguably the first Nollywood film) with this same name featuring Pete Edochie playing the role of Okonkwo as the lead character. In 2008, during the celebration of the book's 50th anniversary, BBC came down to interview the man who had the "honor and privilege" to interpret the role of Okonkwo from a mere concept to a human being.  Since the film follows the script written from the book, i will not bore you with the its story line, but i have attached a link to watch the clip of the film here...

 

The Man

Pete Edochie is considered one of Africa’s most talented actors, by both Movie Awards and Movie Magic’s Africa Magic Cable network. Although a seasoned administrator and broadcaster, he came into prominence in the 1980s when he played the lead role of Okonkwo in an NTA adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s all time best selling novel, Things Fall Apart. In 1987 he was appointed a director in Eastern Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation. He retired as a broadcaster in 1988. He moved into the movie industry and has featured and starred in over 200 movies. Hear Pete Edochie on the book " I feel celebrated. I feel glad that it pleased the Almighty God to pick me to interpret that role. I am encouraged; I am honoured by the fact that Chinua Achebe himself said “Pete Edochie gave Okonkwo the best interpretation ever." Before he said that, the production had been done by a couple of people. I remember one which featured Elizabeth of Toro. They never made any impression until the NTA manager then decided, when Walter Ofonagoro was the Minister of Information, that we should put this thing on celluloid, and some how I was picked to play the role of Okonkwo"

 

How Pete Edochie Go the job: His story

I was privileged to work with John Ekwere and Ralph Okpara all late, as a broadcaster. And by the time I was chosen by Engineer Ugwu to play the role of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart, these people, including Professor Kalu Uka of the Department of Dramatic Art, University of Calabar, had not been contacted. After I had been chosen by Engineer Ugwu, then head of NTA zone C or was it zone E based in Benin, the producer, Adiele Onyedibia, told me he was going to contact John Ekwere, Ralph Okpara and Professor Kalu Uka, and I said go on. He met Kalu Uka, and the first question Kalu asked him was: who is playing Okonkwo? Adiele told him it was Pete Edochie. Kalu told him he had gotten the right man for the job, that he would play if Pete was playing Okonkwo. Ekwere and Ralph reacted the same way when he told them I was going to play the lead role. They told him: 'if Pete is going to play Okonkwo, then we will join the crew.' Then Adiele came back to me and said: “These are very old actors, very old broadcasters. How come as young as you are, they are all excited to play beside you? I said only God knows. You have known those people for a long time, now you are hearing about me. Let us see what will happen. And when now went to do the production, he knew why all those people say if Pete is playing Okonkwo, put me. A lot of people were drawn from the university, people like Professor Ola Oni from the University of Lagos was in the lightening. Dan Elindase from the University of Calabar and Professor Kalu Uka. A lot of other people came eventually that I can’t remember all their names but at the end of the day, it was an immensely successful production. But credit should go to Adiele Onyedibia and David Orere. These are the men that have something to say about Things Fall Apart on celluloid, not those rascals in Lagos who only try to reap where they never sowed. Chinua wrote Things Fall Apart in 1958, then I was only 11-years-old. Okonkwo was 38 years in the book and that was the age I was when I played that role. So when you go and interview Adiele Onyedibia and David Orere, you know how we put our heads together to make it successful.

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