Ghana and USA / 2018 / 80mins / Drama, Thriller / Akan and English

Through a magical realist lens, The Burial of Kojo follows the story of Esi, as she recounts her childhood and the tumultuous relationship between her father, Kojo and her uncle, Kwabena. Directed music composer and musician Samuel “Blitz” Bazawule, the film chronicles the tale of two brothers through the gifted eyes of a young girl who transports the audience to the beautiful lands of Ghana and other worlds that exist between life and death. Born from a newspaper article and a Kickstarter campaign, Bazawule skillfully captures the beauty of a family, even when the circumstances aren’t beautiful. The Burial of Kojo is an essential human story of courage and survival. The Burial of Kojo is a 2019 Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) Official Selection and 2018 Urbanworld Film Festival Best Narrative Feature Winner.

Samuel Blitz Bazawule

Blitz Bazawule, known by the stage name Blitz the Ambassador, is a filmmaker and musician born in Accra, Ghana and based in the US. Blitz's short films Native Sun (2012) and Diasporadical Trilogìa (2016) have premiered at BAM New Voices in Black Cinema. The Burial of Kojo is his debut feature film. As a musician and band leader, Blitz has released three studio albums, Stereotype (2009), Native Sun (2011), Afropolitan Dreams (2014) and has performed worldwide sharing the stage with the likes of The Roots, Angelique Kidjo, Sting and Public Enemy. Blitz is a 2016 TED Fellow and recipient of the Vilcek Prize. Learn More