West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty

Introduction and Q&A with Ashley Clark, Curatorial Director at the Criterion Collection. Followed by a book signing of Clark’s 2026 book, The World of Black Film (Laurence King Publishing)

In an abandoned Parisian Citroën factory, aboard a massive replica slave ship, Mauritanian-French filmmaker Med Hondo staged West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty, a sui generis musical epic interrogating centuries of European colonial violence and its repercussions throughout Africa and abroad. It was the most expensive African film ever produced at the time of its making, and it took seven years to complete–largely because Hondo refused to compromise his vision for potential investors. West Indies is a dazzling, rallying cry for liberation, and is widely regarded as Med Hondo’s peerless, crowning achievement.

Restoration Credits
Digitally restored by the Harvard Film Archive and Ciné-Archives using the original 35mm picture negative and magnetic track. Financial support provided by the McMillan Stewart Foundation. Film services by Blackhawk Films and Lumières Numériques.