Haile Gerima & Sonkofa – Picture: ARRAY
Netflix will become the streaming home to a 4K restoration of the 1993 Ethiopian-produced drama, Sankofa. Multiple regions of Netflix will carry the movie from September 24th, 2021.
First released in 1993, the film went onto score numerous awards and come to be one of the most influential movies from the region. Now, it’ll be getting a 4K restoration and released under the ARRAY banner.
The movie tells the story of a Black American fashion model named Mona appearing in a photoshoot at Cape Coast in Ghana. She’s transported back in time however and experiences slavery through the eyes of Shola. Through this experience “Mona recovers and confronts her ancestral identity and experience.”
The movie starred Kofi Ghanaba, Oyafunmike Ogunlano and Alexandra Duah.
You can see a short preview clip of the original movie (not in its 4K restoration that Netflix will recieve) below.
We’re told Netflix will receive the movie in select countries including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand who will all stream the movie from September 24th.
Ahead of the release on both Netflix and a limited theatrical release, president of ARRAY, Tilane Jones said: “Mr. and Mrs. Gerima are trailblazers of independent filmmaking and grassroots distribution in the Black cinematic diaspora. ARRAY Releasing is abundantly honored and proud to have been selected by The Gerimas to introduce their landmark film to new audiences with a remastered re-release of the masterpiece, SANKOFA.”
For those unfamiliar, ARRAY is distribution house set up by Ava DuVernay (who will return to Netflix next month with the release of Colin in Black & White). The outfit works to distribute films from minorities or those who would otherwise get overlooked at larger studios. The most recent release from ARRAY onto Netflix was Cousins in late July 2021.
For years, Netflix has had an overall output deal with the studio and streamed the majority of their titles and Sankofa is no exception.
You can find a full list of ARRAY titles on Netflix here. As per all of ARRAY’s releases on Netflix, Sankofa will be available on Netflix for 3 years until September 2024.
For more on what’s coming to Netflix later in September 2021 check out our full preview for the month.