Boseman legacy to be celebrated
Spira Tlhankane | Friday September 4, 2020 15:59
The screenings will be done at a price of P20 for each movie.
The death of actor Boseman last week at the age of 43 came as a shock to many. Batswana will get to celebrate Boseman’s life through his films. Boseman battled colon cancer, shooting films in between bouts of chemo and surgery for fours years. He was known for his role as King T’Challa in Black Panther. The 2018 film was a hit across Africa. In Botswana this was evidenced by the premiere of Black Panther at New Capital Cinemas two years ago. Just like many Africans across the continent, Batswana were also excited to watch the film. Some went wearing traditional attire and customised costumes to the premiere. American Embassy event took children to watch the movie at the cinema at Masa.
The fictional country of Wakanda, which was depicted in the movie as the most technologically advanced society in the world, was the nation Africans wished they had.
The film reminded Africans of what is possible for African countries – and how the continent could be powerful and respected. Boseman’s unexpected death has left Africans feeling as if we have lost one of theirs.
During a 2018 interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Boseman acknowledged his African lineage.
His family is from the Yoruba people, one of Nigeria’s largest tribes, and the Limba, who come from Sierra Leone. He said his African background was one of his influences for making Black Panther more human.