Customer Reviews

500 Years Later: Directors Cut

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

500 years later is, in my opinion, one of the most informative, captivating, and eyebrow raising films produced through the honest, but too often ignored lens of the Afrikan centered collective. It not only outlines in outstanding narration, the history of Afrikan peoples' early relationship with the Europeans (and Arabs to a certain extent) via. the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, as well as our experiences in the so called New World; but it breaks down with unshakeable precision, the damaging results such enslavement has had on Afrikans, not only in the Western world, but also back on the Motherland. Such modern-day manifestations are organized into specifc issues which formulates into the chapters of the DVD (i.e. Race, Class, Education, Culture, etc). Without revealing too much, I can say with absolute confidence that this documentary is deserving of all the accolades, awards, and honors received at this point. Truely a must-see!

Peace brothers & sisters!
Karamou

This one of the Greatest, Most Exceptional and Informative Movies I ever seen. The Traumatic Maafa(a.k.a. Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade) and its today's consequences on Africans is seen through African eyes. I recommend this documenatry to every human being on this planet, whether you are from African descent or from any other descent. A friend of mine recommended this movie to me and I bought it and greatly thanked my friend for letting me know about this documenatry. I'm a teacher in high school in the Paris area in France and have worked on this documentary with my students, they Greatly liked it. The only regret I would have is that it is not subtitled in French. However, I gave this documentary 5 stars because it more than deserves it. GO GET IT!!!!!

This film documentary caputures some of the most important history that is relevant concerning the Afrikan continent's enslavement, and the pillifering resources struggles which remain our bondage. It is a gripping reality that reinforces my own persona of freedom and individuality; my mind and my life does not belong to no man or belief system,is a challenge that I will protect with my life as I live everyday. Five hundred years later and Afrikans everywhere haven't fully realized that the we must break the chains that are keeping us from our destiny of being the best in human capacity.

It's interesting that it is called a Holocaust whenever a large group of human beings are slaughtered but when people of African decent are discussed it's something that is simply trivialized. This documentary shows the extent of the destruction that was deliberately done to those of the African diaspora and how it has shaped our continued destabilized condition. It is explained how different lenses are used to evaluate how we were exploited and murdered with the rise of the ONLY international economically driven chattel slavery market in human history being our fault because some Africans participated. However, the fact that Iraqi's are helping Americans or the fact that Jews did business with Nazis is never brought up and used as justification for what they have and are(Iraq) going through. No one ever says since Jews were involved with Nazis it's the Jews fault for their supposed Holocaust! The specific point is made concerning how we gave advanced civilization to the world yet the world looks upon those that they should honor with unjustified indifference and contempt. This documentary is a proper context for understanding true history as well as African history and in that it's still just a snapshot!

As a final year student in History and Anthropology I have found this documentary extremly useful and would recommend it to anyone even if they are not history or anthropology students. It also gives on a view from the other side. I have also recommended this to my lecturer and he may get the other sudents to watch some clips from this.

Perfrct for Black History Month or any sociology class. This film grabs the watcher and makes you want to take notes!!! Definitely coinsides with Dr. Joy Leary Post Traumatic Slavery Syndrome. This film provides a clear understanding of the Black history and relationship from the homeland to America. I LOVE this film and it is now a part of my personal collection.

I really enjoyed this DVD.

After studying about Afrocentic views. This product kind of put the hammer to the nail.

It helped me to get a better understanding of the problem along with the solution.

I think this should be a must DVD for anyone interest in Black history

This documentary is very informative, however I would like to know what the black race is doing with all this knowledge. Despite being aware of our history do we continue to be mentally enslaved or do we emancipate ourselves and create a positive legacy for the next generation. It would be interesting to see in my lifetime if we will be able to do so. Our ancestors sacrificed and paved the way for us to be where we are at today. Lets build on this by recognizing their efforts and knowing despite the odds something positive came from their experiences and so we should continue to carry their torch in a positive light. The best we can do to honour their legacy this moment in time is to put the ego one side and start to work together to build a better economic, spiritual and social structure for ourselves and the next generation. Once we have respect for ourselves, other nations will also begin to have that respect they once had for us many moons ago. Peace

I thought I had an idea of how much the Black Holocaust had affected myself and the people around me. I spent endless days puzzleing over certain aspects of our behaviour and thought I understood. I now realise I was clueless.

I have been priviledged to attend a few lectures from the imminent Dr. Kimani Nehusi who has been prominantly featured in this film. If you can, buy this film it's a must have

I have purchased several and made I made presents to people with children, so they can be wise and change when they recognise some of the negatives being demonstrated in them selves.

I waited in vain for some useful information, or some new or original insights.....instead;from begining to end the film remained mired down in "long narratives of victimhood".

Our brave and hearty ancestors walked down the long dusty dangerous roads of the South after the Civil War, for the most part uneducated,dead broke, with no legal rights or protection, with enemies at every turn.
They chose life. They did not despair, they did not allow their enemies to define them or to dictate to them a world view. They defined themselves and created strong stable communities that allowed us to come into being....if our slave ancestors had the philosophy of endless victimhood of this documentary they would have curled up and died in the woods. None of us would be here!!

The tone of this documentary was one of hopelessness and despair. Only rarely did a fleeting positive perspective manage to rise above the noise of long dreary antedotes and self-deprecating opinions. In the background, sad and melodramatic sounds of violins (European style) only added to the sense of depression and gloom.
At times, one would think they were watching a typical 5:30 evening news telling us of the "crises in the inner city". Bill Cosby even spewed out his criticism of African people in America more than once. Babies out of wedlock. Jail populations; you have heard it all before!! We all know that Bill Cosby remains silent when he has a chance to criticize the powerful.
I guess it is so much safer to criticize poor uneducated Black women.....
I was on the verge of turning off the DVD player when I saw a picture of several of Diop's books. Maybe an informative interview with some new presenters, maybe this will mark a shift in tone and outlook. Maybe Paul Robeson Jr. would speak about his father . Maybe Maulana Karenga will talk about Ifa or Maat, or maybe Asante will offer helpful insights from the works of Diop or Obenga..maybe somebody would explain the concept of Ori of the Yoruba or Chi of the Ibo...? Maybe Dr. Obenga would be interviewed.....Maybe someboby would rise out of the mire and speak boldly and confidently in the spirit of Diop or Garvey or Malcolm.
I waited only to be dissapointed when the long line of dreary presenters ,from various parts of the world, started all over again: "we need to do this....or that"... One obscure musician with a British accent and a sad and depressed look on his face, managed to mumble something about"other people" do this why can't black people..... This transatlantic PITY PARTY went on and on and on with a seemingly endless number of depressing observations and whining opinions. They simply repeated all the negative themes used by the West in their attempt to demoralize African people.
They all seem to have been chosen for the severity of their depression or the complexity of their neurosis.
Most of them seemed dead on a cultural, spiritual and intellectual level. Perhaps they had one foot in and one foot out of the Euro-centric intellectual paradigm and thats enough to depress and confuse anybody!!!They appeared to have been shattered psychologically by the Euro-centric intellectual tyranny that dominates academia in the United States and Europe. Did they want the Western world to validate their opinions? They seemed troubled and trying to convince themselves that they really believed or even understood Obenga and Diop.

Finally it was over. And a pensive and weary looking Dr. Molefi Asante appeared on screen and uttered with force and conviction an almost Diopian closing statement, but it was far too little and far too late to save this long, sorry, dreary film.
May I have my money back please!!!!