We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe

We Were Here interweaves interviews with international art historians and reenactments inspired by paintings by the likes of Diego Velázquez, Vittore Carpaccio, and Andrea Mantegna. The film examines the presence of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe, especially those people represented in paintings from the era. Who were they? How did they get to Europe? By highlighting their presence as a key part of European society, the film counters the narrative that the only Black people there were enslaved. In French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Dutch with English subtitles. (60 mins., DCP)

A panel featuring filmmaker Fred Kudjo Kuwornu, Ohio State Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies Margaret Flinn, and School of Music Professor Ryan Skinner follows the screening.

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We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe, courtesy of Do the Right Films.