Kongi's Harvest (film)
Kongi's Harvest is a 1970 Nigerian drama film directed by Ossie Davis and adapted from Wole Soyinka’s 1965 play of the same name. Soyinka, a renowned Nigerian writer and Nobel laureate, stars as Kongi, the dictator of a developing African nation. The movie, produced by Calpenny Nigeria Films, was shot in Nigeria, runs 85 minutes, and is in English. Soyinka also appears in the lead role, though he later dissociated himself from changes made to his screenplay in a New York Times advertisement.
The story satirizes the rise of tyrannical rule in post‑independence Africa. Kongi seeks to modernize his country and seize control of the Festival of the New Yam, a sacred tradition tied to the king’s power. The imprisoned former king, Oba Danlola, is the rival for this spiritual privilege, while Danlola’s heir and nephew tends prized yams on his farm. A dissident named Daodu and his lover Segi—who is Kongi’s former lover—oppose both the old regime and Kongi’s dictatorship. Kongi presses for tribute in the form of a yam and uses five treasonous men as leverage. As the harvest festival nears, rebellion erupts and Kongi is killed at the ceremony. The film ends with Dr. Gbenga delivering a propagandist radio broadcast, echoing Kongi’s voice.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:46 (CET).