Join the conversation online as MSU Libraries and WKAR present Sankofa.

Taking viewers on a journey back in time, SANKOFA – written and directed by Ethiopian-born filmmaker Haile Gerima – tells the story of an African American fashion model named Mona who goes on a spiritual journey of resistance to confront her past. An angry encounter with a local griot sends her on a transcendental journey back through time where she emerges as Shola, an enslaved woman on a plantation somewhere in the Americas. Mona, now Shola, is faced with the choice of continued abuse or fighting back.

Warning: This film is rated TV-MA, and contains nudity and depictions of sexual violence. Viewer discretion is advised.

Registration is required for this virtual event.
Following the film, join a moderated online discussion. Scheduled panelists include:

• Erik Ponder, MSU Libraries- African Studies, Panel Moderator 
• Haile Gerima, Filmmaker  
• Dr. Tama Hamilton-Wray, Associate Professor of Africana Film Studies, The MSU Residential College in the Arts and Humanities 
• Dr. Nakia D. Parker, Assistant Professor, MSU History Department 

RSVP HERE to join the screening and conversation around Sankofa from the comfort and safety of your home. Conversation with the panel begins at approximately 8:00 p.m.

More About the Film:
Originally released in 1993, Gerima introduces Mona as a model posing for sultry photos in front of Elmina Slave Castle on the coast of Ghana, without any awareness of the depth of the historical tragedy that took place there.

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Presented by WKAR and MSU Libraries

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A New Kind of Virtual Event - OVEE
This film screening and conversation is a virtual event hosted by WKAR on the OVEE platform. OVEE stands for Online Viewing and Engagement Experience.

Created by ITVS and funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), OVEE combines quality HD media and livestream content with the community-building conversation of social media in a single-screen experience.

First-time registrants will create a free OVEE account and will be asked to provide their birthdate to verify their age as 13 or older. Accounts can be anonymous.

If you have questions about this event or the OVEE platform, please send an email to events@wkar.org