Stolen skulls and colonial trauma: the Tanzanians searching for ancestral remains

Extract by on TheGuardian.com:

“The serene municipality of Songea is steeped in a history of violence. This remote corner of southern Tanzania was a centre of resistance to colonial rule during the early 20th century, when German colonialists executed local people and took the remains of many back to Europe.

“For decades, descendants of some of those who took part in the revolt have fought a largely overlooked campaign for their ancestors’ atonement and for the repatriation of their remains. Now a documentary co-directed by the German film-maker Agnes Lisa Wegner and her Tanzanian counterpart Cece Mlay has shone a delicate light on two families’ search for answers.

“The question of ancestral remains was not something that I had thought had happened here,” said Mlay. “It almost changes your worldview about how you perceive your familial relationships.”

Continue reading on TheGuardian.com.