In the comedy-drama Queen of Glory, writer/director/performer Nana Mensah weaves a personal narrative about a second-generation immigrant daughter into a universal story of family, grief, and belonging.
Sarah Obeng (played by Nanah Mensah herself) is a Ph.D. student at Columbia University, about to uproot her life to follow her married boyfriend Lyle (Adam Leon) to Ohio for his own work opportunity. But when Sarah’s mother dies, her next few weeks take an unexpected turn. Tasked with arranging her Ghanaian mother’s funeral services and running her newly-inherited Christian bookstore, King of Glory, Sarah finds herself overwhelmed by the world she left behind. The grieving daughter simply wants to sell the store and leave as soon as she can.
But complicating things are an unexpected friendship with bookstore employee Pitt (Meeko Gattuso) and the rekindling of a rocky relationship with her father (Oberon Adjepong). It all leaves Sarah in a challenging place—with questions as to where she belongs and what her role is in this Ghanaian immigrant community in the Bronx.
In interviews, Mensah has said she tried to find a director who could capture her vision for the comedy-drama. But she took on the task herself when she realized Sarah Obeng’s story needed to be more than “the strife narrative of what it is to be Black and a woman and from the Bronx,” as she told Redefine. “I wanted it to be a little more nuanced—a little bit more dynamic.” It’s a treat that Mensah took hold of her own vision for Queen of Glory. For, as much as the film is a striking narrative of Black womanhood, it’s also exceptionally nuanced in its portrayal of the immigrant community in the Bronx, Sarah’s career life, her grief, and her complicated family relationships.
Integrating archival footage of old Ghanaian country into the film, Queen of Glory emphasizes that one’s story is never only about oneself. Still, the “self” never loses its importance. It’s why we feel so much conflict in Sarah’s plans to follow her boyfriend to Ohio–there is all of her boyfriend and none of herself in that decision. But one’s “self” is wrapped up in one's desires, one’s relationships, one’s family, one’s traditions, and heritage. Sarah’s identity and her decisions are never as simple as one thing.
The quiet beauty in Queen of Glory lies in its nuanced picture of selfhood and identity, and the balance one’s community and relationships play within those ideas. Nana Mensah’s comedy-drama may be a low-budget venture, but her talented direction and compelling themes result in a moving story of an immigrant daughter and a hopeful message of life after loss and grief. Highly recommended.
What public library shelves would this title be on?
If purchased for your public library film collection, Nana Mensah’s Queen of Glory belongs on comedy, drama, and narrative film shelves.
Does this film have Public Performance Rights available?
Yes. A copy of Queen of Glory can be purchased with public performance rights for $350.00.
What academic subjects would this film be suitable for?
As Queen of Glory is about the real experiences of immigrant daughters, the film would be a suitable topic of discussion for women’s studies and immigrant studies. Nana Mensah’s film would also be a helpful subject for independent filmmaking classes
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