Owen 'Alik Shahadah
| 500 Years Later | |
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| Directed by | Owen 'Alik Shahadah |
| Produced by | Owen 'Alik Shahadah Ako Oseyaba Mitchell M. K. Asante, Jr. |
| Written by | M. K. Asante, Jr. |
| Starring | Kimani Nehusi Molefi Kete Asante Maulana Karenga Muhammad Shareef Paul Robeson, Jr. Welsing Amiri Baraka Bill Cosby Hakim Adi Khaleel Muhammad Mighty Gabby M. K. Asante, Jr. |
| Music by |
Tunde Jegede Ocacia |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Codeblack Entertainment |
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Release date
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Running time
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108 minutes |
| Country | United States United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1 million |
500 Years Later (፭፻ ዓመታት በኋላ 500 ʿamätatə bähwala) is an independent documentary film directed by Owen 'Alik Shahadah, written by M. K. Asante, Jr. and released in 2005. It has won five international film festival awards in the category of Best Documentary (including) UNESCO "Breaking the Chains Award"). Other awards it has won include "Best Documentary at the Pan African (Los Angeles) and Bridgetown (Barbados) Film Festivals; Best Film at the International Black Cinema (Berlin) Film Festival; and Best International Documentary at the Harlem (New York) International Film Festival".
500 Years Later has received praise as well as controversy, both for the genre of the film (creative documentary), and its social-political impact with relation to race study. The film opened on February 28, 2005, at the Pan-African Awards (PAFF) and won Best Documentary at its premiere. It made its American television premiere on August 23, 2008, on TV One (Radio One), and Ethiopian Television premiere on October 27, 2007. It was shown nationally in South Africa on December 14, 2014, on SABC 2. In 2010, the sequel, Motherland, was released.
500 Years Later studies the African Diaspora and the impact of slavery throughout history, identifying key issues facing the world's black communities, including poor education, poverty, crime, and the way that such issues dehumanize and degrade black peoples. The film also gives insight into the struggles faced by continental Africans today, for instance in terms of poverty, disease, and corrupt governments. While the continuing negative impact, influence and effects of the trans-Atlantic slave trade are highlighted, scholars interviewed for the film express hope that "old scars can be healed" and Africans as a race will advance through education about their history.
The film states that the lasting effects of slavery are still felt 500 years later, hence the title. This is justified and explained through a series of scholarly interviews throughout the film. The film begins with an adage that illustrates its historical theme: "Until lions tell their story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter."
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Wikipedia