Documentary Follows West Siders to West Africa in Search of Healing and Reparations

A new documentary tracing a group of formerly incarcerated Chicagoans on a spiritual and historical journey to West Africa will screen twice during this year’s Black Harvest Film Festival, which runs Nov. 7–16 at the Gene Siskel Film Center.

The Restore Fellowship Documentary follows five system-impacted Black Chicagoans — including Richard Wallace, founder of the West Side nonprofit Equity and Transformation (EAT) — as they travel to Benin, the former “Door of No Return” for millions forced into the transatlantic slave trade. Produced in partnership with EAT, which is housed in the Westside Justice Center, the film explores what reparations and restitution could look like when approached through cultural reconnection rather than solely policy.

The documentary highlights the fellowship’s attempt to reclaim history, language, and lineage through immersive study, spiritual practice, and community-building. Filmmakers frame the journey as both personal healing and a blueprint for collective repair.

Ken Williams Jr., the film’s director, will join festival audiences for a post-screening discussion after each showing.

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Showtimes

• Sunday, Nov. 9 at 12 p.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 8:30 p.m.

Both screenings take place at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St. For more information, visit the Black Harvest Film Festival web page here. Tickets are $14.50 and can be purchased here.

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Watch the Official Trailer