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Before Things Fell Apart | Documentary by Tukufu Zuberi
BEFORE THINGS FELL APART | Documentary by Tukufu Zuberi What if the history of a real "Wakanda" had been preserved—not in books, but in the living memories of West African griots? Before Things Fell Apart is an immersive documentary by filmmaker and scholar Tukufu Zuberi that explores one of the world's oldest intellectual traditions through oral history, music, architecture, and memory. Filmed over several years in Mali and Morocco, the documentary invites viewers on a sensory journey into the world of Timbuktu, the griots, and the civilizations that flourished long before European colonial expansion. Rather than following a conventional historical narrative, the film unfolds through image, sound, performance, and oral tradition—offering an experience inspired by the way history has been remembered and transmitted across generations. This documentary challenges viewers to reconsider how knowledge is preserved, whose voices become history, and what remains after civilizations appear to have "fallen apart." OFFICIAL FESTIVAL SCREENINGS • Philadelphia Independent Film Festival • Capital City Black Film Festival • Seattle Black Film Festival • Screenings in Morocco • Screenings at universities throughout the United States ABOUT THE FILMMAKER Tukufu Zuberi is an award-winning filmmaker, curator, author, and Professor of Africana Studies and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. His films explore history, race, memory, museums, and the African diaspora through innovative documentary storytelling. CREDITS TZ PRODUCTION COMPANY Produced by Tukufu Zuberi Writer Tukufu Zuberi Cinematography Jabari Zuberi Editors Jabari Zuberi Tukufu Zuberi Animation Accra E. Zuberi Jorge Muñoz Narrator Ursula Rucker Sound Recording Sadikfu Shabazz Sound Post Production Rodney Whittenberg Melody Vision PURCHASE THE DOCUMENTARY Support independent documentary filmmaking by purchasing your own copy: https://curatingnationalnarratives.vhx.tv/products/before-things-fell-apart FOLLOW TUKUFU ZUBERI 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tukufuzuberi/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TukufuZuberi 🎥 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@tukufuzuberi SUBSCRIBE Subscribe for award-winning documentaries exploring African history, race, memory, museums, and the African diaspora. New films, lectures, and behind-the-scenes features from filmmaker and scholar Tukufu Zuberi. © 2019 Tukufu Zuberi • TZ Production Company. All Rights Reserved. #Documentary #Timbuktu #AfricanHistory
