King of Sanwi

King of Sanwi

2020 · 7 min · ★ 8.0

A companion piece to Pelourinho: They Don’t Really Care About Us (NYFF57), King of Sanwi continues Akosua Adoma Owusu’s exploration of Michael Jackson as a global pop icon. Here, Michael’s long affinity with the African continent—from the Jackson 5’s arrival in Senegal in 1974 to Michael’s coronation as an Ivorian king in 1992—is captured in vibrant, fuzzy archival video, made visceral by Owusu’s funky audiovisual collage and richly material direct animation effects.

Directed by Akosua Adoma Owusu

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Michael Jackson Self (archive footage)

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King of Sanwi

My White Baby

Both from Akosua Adoma Owusu.

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