Examining Identity Transformation, Resistance, and Gender Dynamics in Haile Gerima’s Sankofa Film Analysis

University students analyzing themes of slavery, cultural resistance, and personal identity in African diaspora cinema through discussion questions on Sankofa benefit from this detailed assignment prompt.

https://vk.com/video488159121_456239034 Links to an external site.

Watching films like this one opens doors to deeper empathy and historical insight for everyone involved.

1. How does the film interpret the Akan concept of Sankofa (“go back and fetch it”)?
2. What changes occur in Mona’s sense of identity as she is transported into the life of Shola? Which scenes most powerfully communicate this transformation, and why?
3. How does Sankofa portray the brutality and daily realities of enslavement differently than other films you’ve seen?

Delving into these portrayals invites a fresh perspective on how history shapes our views today.

4. In what forms does resistance appear in the film (physical, cultural, spiritual, communal)? Which acts of resistance felt most meaningful to you, and what do they reveal about the enslaved community’s resilience?
5. How are the experiences of enslaved women portrayed differently from those of enslaved men? What does the film reveal about gender, power, and vulnerability in the plantation context?

Questions like these encourage thoughtful connections between past struggles and current social issues.

Sample Answer Guide

The film Sankofa interprets the Akan concept as a vital return to one’s roots to reclaim lost knowledge and strength for the future. Mona undergoes profound identity shifts when thrust into Shola’s enslaved life, shedding her superficial modern persona for a deeper cultural awareness. Powerful scenes such as the brutal whipping and spiritual awakenings convey this change and they highlight her growing solidarity with the community. Brutality appears in raw, everyday humiliations that set it apart from glossier depictions in mainstream cinema. Resistance takes physical forms in uprisings, cultural ones in preserved traditions, and spiritual in rituals that sustain hope. Communal acts resonate deeply since they demonstrate unbreakable bonds among the enslaved. Gender differences show women facing unique vulnerabilities like sexual exploitation, yet wielding quiet power through nurturing roles (SenGupta 2022, https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0296.34).

References/Learning Materials

1. SenGupta, G. (2022) Sankofa and the art of archiving Black Atlantic migrations. In: Mobile saints: Rhythm, reverence, and diaspora in the Mexican and Mexican American Marian tradition. Open Book Publishers. DOI: 10.11647/OBP.0296.34.
2. Gion, T. A. (2025) Interlocking narratives: Reconnoitering the bond and intersection of Africana women and Africa in Haile Gerima films. Journal of Social Sciences, 12(1), pp. 1-15. Available at: https://journals.ust.edu/index.php/JSS/article/view/2654 (Accessed: 25 February 2026).
3. Tei, R. and Obeng Acquah, D. (2026) Screens and gender: Re (visiting) the history of Ghana’s film industry. Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television. DOI: 10.1080/01439685.2025.2501357.
4. Fernández Castagnede, R. H. (2025) Representación del colonialismo en África a través del cine: Discursos anticoloniales y poscoloniales en la cinematografía africana. Available at: https://riull.ull.es/xmlui/bitstream/handle/915/42567/Representacion%20del%20colonialismo%20en%20Africa%20a%20traves%20del%20cine%20discursos%20anticoloniales%20y%20poscoloniales%20en%20la%20cinematografia%20africana.pdf?sequence=1 (Accessed: 25 February 2026).