Haile is perhaps best known as the writer , producer , and director of '' Sankofa '' ( 1993 ) . This dramatic tale of African resistance to slavery won international acclaim : awarded first prize at the African Film Festival in Milan , Italy ; Best Cinematography at Africa 's premier Festival of Pan African Countries ( FESPACO ) ; and nominated for the Golden Bear at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival . The film presents a brutally realistic portrayal of African slavery . The story is revealed through the eyes of Mona , a modern-day woman who is possessed by spirits and transported to the past as Shola , a house slave on the Lafayette plantation in Louisiana . The savagery and violence of the evil institution are clearly disturbing and go far beyond the safe and conventional images of slavery presented by Hollywood . Some critics panned Haile for excess brutality , but the black community responded positively and enthusiastically . The film was well received and played to full houses for many weeks in major cities
43rd Berlin International Film Festival
43rd Berlin International Film Festival
Haile Gerima