Graphic Design
Sankofa
Reprinted with permission by Beatrice Mukora
Mona, a black model working on the shores of Ghana, embarks on a spiritual journey from Africa to America during the slave era. On the plantations, she works as a house slave where she is sexually abused by her master, falls in love with an unruly [field] slave and attests to the strength and influence of African magic and supernatural powers. This journey, as played out in the film SANKOFA, gives a glimpse into the life of slaves living in one of the most dehumanizing institutions in history.
Sankofa is an Akan word meaning "one must return to the past in order to move forward." The Sankofa bird is known as the "bird of passage." Haile Gerima, an Ethiopian filmmaker and director of this film, uses these symbols to create a didactic film that is not only a strong criticism of slavery and Christianity but also a masterpiece that has greatly contributed to the Independent Black Cinema Movement.
As the camera takes the visual perspective of the Sankofa bird, the viewer flies high in the African skies and across the Atlantic Ocean to witness the perils of slavery. The journey back to Africa places us on the shores of the Ghanaian coast which represents the taste of freedom.
The human senses are put to work from the opening scenes of SANKOFA. The beautiful work of African art together with Ghanaian drum beats and Mutabaruka's poetry illustrate the richness of a culture once deemed savage. With competent actors and great cinematography, SANKOFA achieves its position as a film whose plot recounts a dark story that many have willingly refused to hear.
The awakening drum and the powerful call to "rise up" is the essence of this film's message as well as the essence of Black History Month.
To know your future, you must gain knowledge of the past.
Beatrice Mukora was born in Kenya and now lives in Canada as an international student of Film Studies. She is also a co-founder of the Third Eye Film Crew.