We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe (2025)

"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 Blacks 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.

Cast (31)CrewGenresDetailsReleasesMediaAwards

A

Antumi Toasijé

Self

K

Kate Lowe

Self

O

Olivette Otele

Self

I

Isabelle Castro Henriques

Self

A

Aspha Bijnaar

Self

S

Simon Njami

Self

A

Anne Lafont

Self

Johny Pitts

Self

V

Vanessa K. Valdés

Self

S

Stephen Small

Self

P

Paul Kaplan

Self

J

Jennifer Tosch

Self

R

Rubén Bemudéz

Self

L

Lucia Mbomio Rubio

Self

J

Jose Luis Belmonte

Self

E

Emir Kolfin

Self

N

Natasja Kensmil

Self

I

Isidoro Moreno Navarro

Self

M

Miranda Kaufmann

Self

J

John Brackett

Self

L

Luis Ferrer

Self

M

Michael Ohajuru

Self

N

Naïl Ver-Ndoye

Self

G

Giovanna Fiume

Self

C

Cristina Roldão

Self

J

Justin R. Thompson

Self

S

Samantha Kelly

Self

D

David Pullins

Self

D

David DeWitt

Self

H

Hassan Sall

Self

N

Naky Gaglo

Self

If you liked We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe, you might also like…

90% match

The U.S. vs. John Lennon

2006

86% match

Capital in the Twenty-First Century

2019

84% match

Halloween: 25 Years of Terror

2006

78% match

Naqoyqatsi

2002

76% match

Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity

2021

75% match

The Irishman: In Conversation

2019

71% match

Above Majestic

2018

68% match

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio: Handcarved Cinema

2022

63% match

The Summers of It - Chapter Two: It Ends

2019

62% match

Being James Bond

2021

60% match

The Crystal Calls - Making The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

2019

60% match

David Byrne's American Utopia

2020

60% match

Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction

2013

60% match

OLIVIA RODRIGO: driving home 2 u (a SOUR film)

2022

60% match

Looking for Richard

1996

60% match

The Captains

2011

60% match

American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince

1978

60% match

Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)

2026

60% match

The Making of Star Wars

1977

60% match

The September Issue

2009