Sankofa Actor Afemo Omilami speaks at film screening

Afemo Omilami of Haile Gerima’s 1993 film Sankofa held a discussion after a screening this afternoon

One of the most honest and throught-provoking films about slavery is Haile Gerimaa’s 1993 film, Sankofa. The movie follows an African-American woman’s journey back in time during the slave era, set on a rural Southern plantation. Her story begins in Ghana, Africa at the Elmina slave dungeon, a large slave prison that the Dutch, Portuguese and British used to confine human beings, sometimes for up to a year, while they awaited transportation to the West.

Atlanta travel company, Cultural Compass presented Afemo Omilami, who played head enslaved person Noble Ali in the film, (similar to Samuel L.Jackson’s character in Django) as a guest speaker after today’s film screening.

Omilami is featured in over 60 films including Forrest Gump, Glory and The Firm. He is also involved with the Hosea Feed the Hungry drive here in Atlanta,  where he lives with his wife Elizabeth .Here are some highlights:

 On why Haile Gerima’s Sankofa is nothing like Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained

Corporations push [movies like Django out]. Films like this don’t get made. It’s a cultural vacuum in a city of elitist who are disconnected.

 

“You had Mona who has aspects of ourselves growing up in a culture where you have people who want you to learn their history and so you grow up ignorant and trained in a system that says you are ignorant.” -Afemo Omilami of Sakofa. The actor played a head enslaved person similar to Samuel L. Jackson’s character in Django Unchained

 On his life and career:

I’m still involved in motion pictures while feeding the poor in Atlanta and dealing with this city’s [racial politics.] Being in movies hasn’t changed me.

“As [African-Americans], you know enough to get by: Dr. King, Fredrick Douglass, Harriet Tubman,.. a few things until you finally arrive at your history and it becomes an awareness and we become deeper.” -Afemo Omilami of Sankofa

On today’s black youth:

There are those who don’t really want to know their history. We don’t require our kids to become culturally aware, so they grow up ignorant. Jewish kids have to recite long readings about their history but we don’t make our kids remember anything.

Oyafunmike Ogunlana plays Mona, a woman who is transported back into the slave era. She is consoled by Alexandra Dura who plays Nuna, an Akan woman who was raped at 15 and bears a biracial son.

Sakofa is currently on Youtube in parts here and there. If this link is no longer active, I’m sure you can find another one. Its one of the most powerful movies I’ve ever seen.

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