Wonders of The African World - Movie Review Example

With the showcasing of Timbuktu and The Lost Cities of the South, Gates extends his support to the factual capacities of the Africans in being able to create this kind of a cultural and learning setup. The cities of Zimbabwe, Kush, Mero, Axum, Lalibela, Asante, Timbuktu, Zimbabwe were great examples that have been given by Gates to place before us the African essence.These four aspects of the documentary clearly throw light on the richness of the African continent in terms of tradition, religion, architecture, and learning.

However, the other two important descriptive pieces of the documentary, which are the Swahili Coast and The Slave Kingdoms are more on the verge of showcasing the 'dark' side of the Dark Continent. The two parts of the documentary clearly outline the violence, disparity, and the cruelty of the same Africa, which has been portrayed as something rich in culture and tradition! Here, the ghastly occurrences of slavery and Africans being sold by fellow-Africans for sums of money is a striking feature, that is a great proof of the darkness of the continent.

Therefore, this documentary made by Henry Louis Gates Jr. Showcases not just the beauty and strength of Africa, but also incidents of darker shades, with a realistic view and assessment of the situations. It provides a layman and one with no clue about the details of the African Continent, with great insight and detailed description of Africa.One is able to absorb and comprehend the cultural backdrop and the lifestyle of the Africans with ease, more so with historical details to support one's understanding!

In other words, this documentary not only portrays a real picture of the Dark Continent but also washes away those numerous myths that have formed and settled in the minds of outsiders and those with not much information at their disposal, regarding the continent.