Tioleja Films to Adapt Four Gabriel Souleyka Novels into Historical Dramas

Tioleja Films has secured the rights to adapt four novels by Gabriel Souleyka into films. The selected works include Solitude, My Soul is a Witness, Akoni Yoruba, and Toya.

Tioleja Films recently teamed up with Ten Ten Global Media to co-produce My Soul is a Witness. Ten Ten Global Media, led by Lisa Osinloye and Simone Y. White, has a history of producing compelling content. They were executive producers of the 2020 feature film The Last Full Measure. Yasmina Fagbemi Edwards, CEO of Tioleja Films, will produce each adaptation with Gabriel Souleyka onboard as both screenwriter and producer.

Gabriel Souleyka, who holds a PhD in History with a focus on African History, has made significant contributions to the literary world. His debut novel, Le Cri De L’Innocence, was published in France in 2020. Souleyka has also worked extensively as a script doctor and screenwriter on various film projects. To date, he has released five historical novels that have performed well on Amazon. His forthcoming novel, Toya, is set for release this fall.

Reflecting on the importance of history, Gabriel stated, “Knowing your history is an act of resistance. When a people doesn’t know its history, it is condemned to relive it.”

Yasmina Fagbemi Edwards shared her thoughts on the promising future of Tioleja Media. “Tioleja Media just marked its first anniversary. We have six epic historical novels under our publishing division, with four being adapted to screen. Our focus will be fiction and nonfiction work that showcase diverse African narratives spanning thousands of years. Telling inspiring stories that elevate everyday heroes to their rightful places in history remains one of our core mission.”

The synopses of the four novels to be adapted are as follows:

My Soul Is A Witness is set in 1939 in Dakar, where Awa and Ibrahim’s marriage is torn apart when Ibrahim is drafted into the war and goes missing. Awa’s desperate search for him leads her to join the resistance in France, where she gets deported to Auschwitz but continues her fight with unwavering bravery.

Solitude follows the journey of Ayomidé, a 14-year-old girl captured in Dahomey and sold in Guadeloupe. After enduring immense hardship, including rape, she gives birth to a daughter named Solitude. The daughter grows up with a strong-willed spirit, becoming a significant figure in the fight against slavery.

The Legend of Akoni unfolds beginning in 1770 in Dahomey. The story follows 12-year-old Akoni, who is captured by slavers and endures a harsh experience in Saint-Domingue. It narrates his relentless struggle for freedom and to reunite with his family.

Toya tells the story of a powerful Mino warrior from Dahomey who is sold into slavery in Saint-Domingue. There, she raises her son, Jean Jacques Dessalines, who becomes the first emperor of Haiti. Toya plays an active role in Haiti’s struggle for independence.

Source: Tioleja Films, Ten Ten Global Media