Project Overview
Importance of the Story

A year after the passing of trailblazing UK director Menelik Shabazz, his final film set in Zimbabwe is being completed with the help of a crowd funding campaign to raise funds to complete ‘The Spirits Return’ movie.

Production began in early 2021 in Zimbabwe under the direction of Menelik Shabazz, he and his team were able to shoot two thirds of the film. Unfortunately, Menelik’s sudden passing during its production left the film incomplete.
Background:

The story behind “The Spirits Return” is inspired by Neferatiti Ife – ‘The Ancestral Whisperer’. She taps into ancestral memory to uncover lost secrets of ancient Kemet (Egypt). As seen in their previous film ‘Pharaohs Unveiled’, produced and written together with director Menelik Shabazz. The conversations in The Spirits Return will astound you. This film will give an important voice to an untold chapter of African history and beyond.

Close friends, long time collaborators and associates of Menelik, who worked with over the last 40 years, have taken on the quest to support the completion of the film on the behalf of Menelik Shabazz. We are working closely with co-writer Neferatiti Ife to raise funds to shoot, edit, promote and release The Spirits Return movie worldwide.

Neferatiti Ife is the co-writer of ‘The Spirits Return’, author, filmmaker, channeller and healer.

Her latest book is called Shine Your Divine Light. She is the co-writer and co-producer of Looking For Love and Pharaohs Unveiled with her late life partner, Menelik Shabazz.

Winstan Whitter is an award winning director, cinematographer and film editor, with over two decade’s worth of professional experience, in broadcast Television, cinema, online and education.

He is better known for his documentary feature films; ‘Rollin’Through The Decades’, Legacy in the Dust: The Four Aces Story’ and ‘You Can’t Move History’.

Winstan has been collaborating with Menelik for over a decade, working on ‘The Story of Lovers Rock’, ‘The Hand of Ken’ and an ongoing series of ‘Spiritual Meditational’ films.

We are excited to tell this story. It is an important part of the filmmaking legacy of Menelik Shabazz. So often African history is told by others who barely manage to scratch the surface of our culture. On the other hand, our oral traditions are not enough to bring the depth of understanding needed about our past in today’s world. The recordings by Neferatiti which inspired Menelik to create this film, bring a new narrative and a voice to Africa before European enslavement.
The Spirits Return is not only a film that brings alive the past. It’s also about Zimbabwe, present and future, reflected through the healing process of an intimate relationship between the modern day Woman and Man.

We Need Your Help:

We need your support to raise £80,000 to support the production costs of the film ‘The Spirits Return’. Funds raised will go to the production (crew, equipment, actors/talents, travel, transport, food) and post-production (editing, animation, music, sound mix) and various areas of promotion of the film.

Other Ways You Can Help:

Not everyone will be able to make a contribution to the film but there are others you can support the campaign.

1: You can let people know via your social media networks spread the word!

2: Write articles; mention it on live radio/podcasts and relevant events!

3: Host your own screenings, showing your favourite Menelik Shabazz film and donate all ticket sales towards the funding of the film.

See here for film selection:

menelikshabazz.co.uk

Menelik Shabazz Filmography (downloadable file)