The Cinematheque

VIFF 2021

“[Nana Mensah] embodies Sarah as a fully fleshed-out woman coping with a collection of ups and downs that are at once deeply rooted in her Ghanaian-American experience, and universal in nature.”

Nick Schager, Variety

Director Nana Mensah vividly captures the Ghanaian-American experience of being caught between two worlds in her film, Queen of Glory. Sarah Obeng (Nana Mensah) is set to move to Ohio with her boyfriend (Adam Leon) when her mother suddenly dies. She must then pick up the pieces of her mother’s life and put together a traditional Ghanaian funeral in New York. The film juxtaposes archival-like footage of a traditional Ghanaian funeral with Sarah’s journey back into her old neighbourhood. Sarah grapples with cultural expectations and her identity as she uncovers more than she expected in exploring the world her mother left behind.

Cast: Nana Mensah, Meeko Gattuso, Oberon K.A. Adjepong, Adam Leon, Russell G. Jones, Anya Migdal

Contemporary World Cinema: The world’s best boldest creators and their exceptional works. The year’s most anticipated international films and new discoveries curated specifically for VIFF audiences.