Sankofa free essay sample

Sank is an Akin (Ghanaian) word meaning one must return to the past in order to move forward. Written and directed by Ethiopians-born filmmaker and Howard University professor Hailed Grimm, Sank is the story of the spirituality journey of Mona, a self-possessed African American woman who faces an identity crisis. From the African continent through the Middle Passage and the Americas, Mona relives her past and is transformed.A seductive model in the United States, Mona is posing near a former leveraging fortress in West Africa for a photo shoot. Far from the exotic setting her photographer hoped for, Mona is possessed by lingering spirits and is transfixed by a self-appointed cultural guardian and grist (storyteller) who wont let her forget her past. In a flashback, Mona is taken into slavery. She lives out her life as Shoal, a house servant on a Southern plantation.There she meets Nun, an African- born matriarch and field hand, and Shannon, a field servant brought from Jamaica who becomes her lover. We will write a custom essay sample on Sankofa or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As witnesses to the brutality of rape, floggings, and lynchings, Nun and Shannon continuously and creatively rebel against the slave system. For Nun, this act of rebellion means direct confrontation with her flesh-and-blood and classic tragic mulatto son born of rape whose identity confusion is reinforced by his dedication to Roman Catholicism.Inspired by Nun and Shanias determination, Shoal ultimately sakes her life into her own hands. This film is about the still present legacy of slavery, told from the perspective of its victims. Filmed in West Africa, Jamaica, and Louisiana, it offers a rich view of the spirituality baggage of the slave past. While the story will be an eye-opener for some, it speaks powerfully of the complexities of the slave legacy and invites viewers into the hearts, minds, and souls of a people whose lives were not their own.