Retji P Dakum
+ Enlarge
Sankofa Poster
2020
Film
Statement
Artist Statement -- My identity is complex and my influences are diverse. Being from Nigeria, I have identified myself through my culture, but after living in America for almost a decade, I have also learned to identify myself through my race. Using photography, music, and film, my art uncovers the reality of both my African culture and my race as a black man in America. Sankofa tells the story of my journey to self-discovery and how I use my art to represent that journey.
Synopsis
A Nigerian filmmaker living in America for the past ten years searches out spaces that connect him to his African roots. He finds Aunty Kiki, a business-minded Ghanaian woman, and Uncle Jim, an American man who is passionate about African tribal art, who are planning to open a children’s museum of African art in Baltimore. Following the couple as they move their collection from their small store into a new space farther out in the city, the film meditates on the role of art, whether in handcrafts or filmmaking, in building a community.
Filmmaking (MFA) Students