Realizing a long-burning desire, ASIRA (Barbara O, Daughters of the Dust), an African American doctor, journeys to Africa after securing an appointment with the National Institute of Psychiatric Medicine in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. Against a backdrop of ancestral spirits, Asira must battle sexism, intolerance, and jealousy from staff members at all levels.

What awaits Asira is beyond anything she had imagined, for her professional expertise has not prepared her for the mysteries and self-doubt that confront her. Odhiambo (Waigwa Wachira, Gorillas in the Mist), the "country doctor" whose practices are viewed skeptically among his own staff, is a former colleague of Asira's. It is the ready communication in their relationship that breeds contempt and suspicion of Asira's every move. Filmed in 35mm on location in East Africa and featuring a hypnotic score by Grammy Award winner Cyril Neville, MAANGAMIZI presents a compelling cinematic vision of a single world and a single mankind.

Official Selection - 74th Academy Awards; Best Film; Best Actress - Zanzibar International Film Festival; Paul Robeson Award Best Feature Film - Newark Black Film Festival; Best Actress - Southern African Film Festival

|USA/Tanzania|2000|112 mins|Spiritual drama|English and Kiswahill with English subtitles|Ron Mulvihill & Martin Mhando, dirs.|

"MAANGAMIZI - The Ancient One...is more than a movie. It is a look at how we've been torn at our roots; severed from nourishment at the source...Those of us who can remember and honor who we have been over eons of time, will be able to inspire the whole world to greater heights of compassion." ~ Alice Walker (author)