Film

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

2025 · 1h 3m · Documentary

"We Were Here" unveils the untold history of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe through iconic artworks. This multilingual film, shot across Europe, challenges the notion that all Blacks were slaves or servants. It reveals a diverse presence, including princes, ambassadors, merchants, and religious figures. Narrated from an Afro-European perspective, it explores stories absent from traditional history books. The film interweaves art history with social narratives, offering a fresh lens on European Renaissance and the complex tapestry of Black presence often overlooked in conventional historical accounts.

Antumi Toasijé

Self

Kate Lowe

Self

Olivette Otele

Self

Isabelle Castro Henriques

Self

Aspha Bijnaar

Self

Simon Njami

Self

Anne Lafont

Self

Johny Pitts

Self

Vanessa K. Valdés

Self

Stephen Small

Self

Paul Kaplan

Self

Jennifer Tosch

Self

Rubén Bemudéz

Self

Lucia Mbomio Rubio

Self

Jose Luis Belmonte

Self

Emir Kolfin

Self

• Fred Kudjo KuwornuEditor · Director · Executive Producer · Writer
• Lorenzo FabbriProducer
• Peter Boateng ManuProducer
• Luigi BenvistoEditor · Director of Photography

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

Release date

October 17, 2025

Status

Released

Original language

English

Runtime

1h 3m

Rated

NR

Genres

Documentary