Thomas Sankara, The Human is screening for $15 on May 21 as part of New York African Film Festival.

The 29th New York African Film Festival is presented under the banner Visions of Freedom: tuning into diverse and interconnected notions of freedom pertinent to Africa, the diaspora, and the world at large. This year’s festival presents programs that recall activisms past and usher in new anthems of the future to embrace a united front for liberation and expression.

Thomas Sankara, The Human (US Premiere)

Boubié Richard Tiéné, 2020, Burkina Faso, 71m

French with English subtitles

On October 15, 1987, the leader of the Burkinabè revolution was killed in a coup. This was not the first putsch in this country in the heart of West Africa, but its tragic end, resulting in the assassination of Thomas Sankara and his twelve companions, shocked the world. Sankara, whose presidency began when he was 33 and lasted only four years, left an indelible mark on the world with his charisma, audacity, Pan-Africanism, and youthfulness. His tragic death is remembered with varying public opinion, locally and internationally. Many tributes continue to be paid to him, and directors have devoted films to him from various angles. However, we find that in Burkina Faso, very few audiovisual productions relate to governance under the Sankara era. Guided by an ideal of balance, Thomas Sankara, the Human, features interviews with surviving witnesses of the era, allowing them to reveal what they have in the depths of their conscience without censorship, and restoring to history what belongs to history. Co-presented with The Africa Center

A Q&A with Richard Tiene will follow the screening.