African Film Archive

Song of Freedom

1936 — J. Elder Wills — United Kingdom

feature · drama, musical · pre-history

An early Hammer Film Productions feature starring Paul Robeson as a London dockworker who discovers he is the rightful heir to the throne of a fictional African island and returns to claim his lineage.

Fun fact: At a time when Black roles in British and American film were largely limited to servants, the film was notable for casting Robeson as a king.

Notes: Non-African-directed colonial-era production set partly on a fictional African island, included per methodology as clearly labeled pre-history era work.

Verification: verified · Sources: [1] [2] [3]

Poster source: Wikipedia