In terms of the the African experience in the west, in relation to slavery and all the bigotry and racism suffered by us, particularly today as we continue to struggle for equality in all areas of our lives, Sankofa is a true and honest depiction. There has been many films made about our experiences and none of them has touched on this reality or even offered a suggestions as to how we free ourselves from this slave mentality which causes us not only to self exploit but to take part in the exploitation of our brothers and sisters. The character Sankofa is representative of 99.9%of black females across Europe and the Americas. This point relates to the character at the start of the film before she goes back to the past. Haille Gerima has a spirit and a soul that generates throughout the movie that the end is one that is positive and not filled with bitterness. It is very understandable why he could not get financial backing as the film is in the eyes of the Hollywood suits, too controversial. Very similar to Spike Lee when making Malcolm X: black people all over loved it and many white people did not, why it failed to win the Oscar. Although the cast of Sankofa is relatively unknown, with the exception of a couple of the American actors in it, don't be put off, everyone plays their role exceptionally well. The film is not only educational in its value but an important film for young and older black women. A film we should all have in our DVD home collection. I will be looking forward to viewing more of his works.