4K Restoration of Haile Gerima’s ‘Sankofa’ Coming to Netflix in September 2021

Netflix will be the streaming destination for a 4K restoration from the 1993 Ethiopian drama Sankofa. The movie will be available in multiple regions on Netflix starting September 24, 2021.

The film was first released in 1993. It went on to win numerous awards and become one of the most important movies in the area. Now, it’ll be getting a 4K restoration and released under the ARRAY banner.

Mona, a Black American model who appears in Cape Coast's photoshoot in Ghana is the subject of this movie. 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.”

Alexandra Duah, Oyafunmike Ogunlano, and Kofi Ghanaba starred in the movie.

Below is a preview of the movie, but not in the 4K restoration Netflix will receive.

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. Tilane Jones, president of ARRAY stated that Mrs. Gerima and Mr. Gerima were pioneers in independent filmmaking and grassroots distribution within 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.”

ARRAY, a distribution company set up by Ava DuVernay (who will be returning to Netflix with Colin in Black & White) is a new name. This outfit distributes films by minorities and those that would otherwise be overlooked at bigger studios. Cousins was the latest release by ARRAY on Netflix in July 2021.

Netflix and Sankofa have had an ongoing output agreement for years.

A complete list of ARRAY movies on Netflix can be found 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.