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Rise of the Black Pharaohs

Name: Rise of the Black Pharaohs
Director: James Barrat
Released: 2014
Duration: 50 min

Representation Score

5.9/10

Fair

2014

TV-PG

Director

James Barrat

Runtime

50 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Rise of the Black Pharaohs acts as a corrective historical narrative. It challenges the systemic erasure of African civilizations within the Western academic canon. The film provides a significant role in driving the story to a historically underrepresented empire. While the documentary lacks engagement with LGBTQ+ or disability themes, its impact lies in its racial and cultural reclamation. It disrupts Eurocentric hierarchies by centering the Kushite Empire. Ultimately, the film is a focused effort to engage with historical revisionism and correct colonial-era archaeological biases.

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Category Breakdown

Does Rise of the Black Pharaohs have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The documentary does not include explicit LGBTQ+ characters or stories. Its focus is on geopolitical and racial history rather than sexual identity.

How does Rise of the Black Pharaohs portray gender?

Fair

The film centers on the power dynamics of ancient empires. While leadership figures are likely male-dominated, it challenges traditional Eurocentric hierarchies.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Rise of the Black Pharaohs?

Excellent

This film serves as a direct critique of historical whitewashing. It centers the ability to act of dark-skinned Africans and disrupts conventional Western archaeological clichés.

How does Rise of the Black Pharaohs represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The narrative deconstructs colonialist perspectives by critiquing biased Western institutional knowledge. It emphasizes uncovering truths buried by previous academic eras.

Does Rise of the Black Pharaohs include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence regarding the portrayal of individuals with physical or neurodivergent disabilities in this work.

Present on Screen

Challenges the 'whitewashing' of ancient history and Western archaeological clichés.
Provides a significant role in driving the story to dark-skinned African historical actors.
Critiques systemic biases within traditional Western institutional knowledge.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit representation or narratives regarding LGBTQ+ identities.
Does not address disability representation or neurodivergent perspectives.
Historical focus remains largely male-centric due to the era's leadership structures.

Official Synopsis

Around 800 BC, Kush, a little-known subject state of Egypt, rose up and conquered the Egyptians, enthroned its own Pharaohs, and ruled over the empire of King Tut for nearly 100 years. This unlikely chapter of history has been buried by the Egyptians and belittled by early archaeologists, who refused to believe that dark skinned Africans could have risen so high. But now, in the heart of Sudan, archeologists Geoff Emberling and Tim Kendall are bringing the truth about the Black Pharaohs to life.

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