We Were Here

Overview

We Were Here – The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe sheds light on the overlooked presence of African and Black individuals in Renaissance Europe, highlighting their depiction in masterpieces by some of the era’s most celebrated artists.

How did they come to Europe? Why were they portrayed? Were they truly all servants or enslaved? If the Black faces depicted in these Renaissance masterpieces could speak, what would they tell us?

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Fred Kudjo Kuwornu and produced by Do The Right Films, this multilingual documentary takes viewers on an expansive journey through the UK, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and France, offering a compelling reexamination of European art history and its cultural legacy. Featuring insights from leading scholars in Art History, Black Studies and History, alongside Black activists and curators, the film provides a rich, layered perspective on a neglected chapter of European history.

We Were Here has attracted international attention, having been exhibited in the Central Pavilion curated by Adriano Pedrosa at the 60ᵗʰ International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, which drew more than 700,000 visitors. The film was also presented as an Official Submission to the 98th Academy Awards® 2026 for Best Documentary Feature and was submitted to the 56th NAACP Image Awards® 2026, further positioning the project within a global conversation on cinema, history and representation. The documentary has received critical acclaim for its fresh and thought-provoking exploration of race, art and identity in the Renaissance.

Director Fred Kudjo Kuwornu will be present for a Q&A session.