Yoruba Culture Amplified in African filmmaker, Toyin Ibrahim Adekeye’s first feature documentary film
Los Angeles, CA (May 11, 2022) – Netflix has announced the acquisition and premiere of the compelling documentary “Bigger than Africa” by African Filmmaker, Toyin Ibrahim Adekeye. The new documentary dives in to how the culture tradition and the religion of the Yoruba’s of west Africa survived the transatlantic slave trade and remain the most prominent African culture in the New World.
Bigger Than Africa documents the journey of enslaved Africans through the lens of these surviving West African cultures. This historical documentary takes you through 6 countries, Brazil, Cuba, Nigeria, Trinidad & Tobago, The United States and back to where it all began in West Africa. The well researched documentary will expose the international audience to how Yoruba culture transcends continents and connects the Black diaspora.
In fact, the influence of Yoruba culture is reflected in many of today’s art, fashion and religion, and even in world leading artists’ music such as Beyonce, Micheal Jackson and Spike Lee, have directly or indirectly showcased Yoruba culture in their art forms.
The documentary debuted at several film festivals across the world in 2018, which influenced Netflix to acquire the film. Some of the wins and nominations include; African Movie Academy Awards, Festivals International du Film Panafricain de Cannes, AFI World Peace Initiative Cannes 2019, Silicon Valley African Film Festival and more.
Toyin’s vision is to expose the preservation of the Yoruba culture across the diasporas on a global scale. The film was produced by Motherland Productions with the participation of the New York Based Management Agency EGMNY.
