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

Movie Poster with several faces

Date

Saturday, Feb 7, 2026 14:00 - 15:00

Location

Level B1,
Eaton Theatre

Admission

Free

Audience

Adults
Contact us

About

Join Afro-Italian filmmaker and artist Fred Kudjo Kuwornu for the Toronto premiere of the documentary We Were Here, which unveils the untold history – through iconic artworks – of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe. This multilingual film, shot across Europe, challenges the notion that all Black people during Europe’s Renaissance were slaves or servants, revealing a diverse presence from royalty to merchants to religious figures. Following the screening, Kuwornu will be joined by Global Africa Curator Tandazani Dhlakama for a Q&A to unpack why this film has so much impact in 2026.   

About the Film

"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 Black people 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. 

This program is generously supported by the Of Africa Intern and Lecture Program Fund

Talks at ROM are generously supported by The Schmidt Family.


 

Speakers

Man in colourful jacket
Fred Kudjo Kuwornu

Fred Kudjo Kuwornu is a multi-hyphenate socially engaged artist, filmmaker and scholar whose work is deeply influenced by his background as a person of African descent. Born and raised in Italy, Kuwornu is based in New York. His unique background is reflected in his triple citizenship, holding Italian, Ghanaian, and U.S. passports.

In 2007, Kuwornu worked as a production assistant on Spike Lee's film "Miracle at St. Anna", which inspired him to pursue documentary filmmaking. He made his directorial debut in 2010 with the documentary "Inside Buffalo", a documentary that reconstructs and highlights the significant contributions of African American soldiers to the Liberation of Europe during World War II.

In 2024, Adriano Pedrosa selected Fred Kudjo Kuwornu's "We Were Here" to exhibit at the Central Pavilion of the 60th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale: "Foreigners Everywhere". This prestigious selection highlights the film's significance in addressing themes of cultural identity and historical erasure within the global contemporary art discourse. He was also named among the top ten “Culturepreneurs of Tomorrow: Pioneers Who Shaped the Global Cultural Landscape in 2024” by Cultured Focus Magazine. 

Tandazani Dhlakama

Zimbabwe-born Tandazani Dhlakama is ROM's Curator of Global Africa. She was previously curator at Zeitz MOCAA and worked at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Harare. Dhlakama was co-curator of Seekers, Seers, Soothsayers (2023), and  When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting (2022), both at Zeitz MOCAA. She also curated Witness: Afro Perspectives from the Jorge M. Pérez Collection (2020) at El Espacio 23 in Miami, and Five Bhobh: Painting at the End of an Era (2018) at Zeitz MOCAA.

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Rules & Guidelines

Accessibility Information

There are a few steps leading down to the entrance of the Eaton Theatre. There is a button-operated lift to the entrance, with a weight limit of 250 kg.