HAVE FAITH IN SELF (2026, Moving Image) honours living pioneer Akyaaba Addai-Sebo.

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Combining portraiture, landscape and footage from his recently restored personal archive, it traces his life from the shores of Gorée Island to his founding of UK Black History Month in 1987.

At the heart of the film is Akyaaba’s recitation of Marcus Garvey’s poem “Have Faith in Self”. Garvey’s call to look within echoes the way Akyaaba has lived. The final sequence carries a message to the children of the diaspora, on the importance of stillness, listening and pursuing one’s own purpose.

 

Watch full film:
www.yaasaa.com/have-faith-in-self-curtis-essel

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All images are stills from HAVE FAITH IN SELF.
Courtesy of the artist. © Curtis Essel 2026