West Indies Fugitive Slaves of Liberty (Criterion) Blu-ray (Rental)

Mauritanian French firebrand Med Hondo puts colonialism itself on trial in this one-of-a-kind musical spectacular—a collective effort of unprecedented scale and ambition that proved a watershed event in African cinema. Aboard an enormous mock slave ship, Hondo stages a series of imaginative reenactments and intricately choreographed musical numbers that trace the devastating effects of French imperialism across centuries of enslavement and injustice. Beyond mere extravaganza, West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty is a stirring call to Pan-African independence and a dazzling yet critical reconception of an entire people’s history of oppression and rebellion. BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack Program featuring archival interviews with director Med Hondo New interview with African-cinema scholar Aboubakar Sanogo Excerpted archival interview with cinematographer François Catonné Trailers PLUS: An essay by film programmer and critic Ashley Clark Top Similar From the Brand Questions Reviews West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]