In the turbulence of 1968, Gabriel travels from Nigeria to California to begin a teaching job at San Francisco State. Beginning as a fiction film based on lead actor Paul Eyam Nzie Opokam’s experiences, we follow Gabriel as he navigates academic West coast life and the racism and exoticism he finds threaded through his daily interactions. However, real-life events overtake the film when Okpokam is falsely accused of terrorism during the university strike of that year. Newly restored, this unique docudrama draws on cinéma vérité, experimental and new wave influences to leave a lasting impression of a moment in time at once distant and wholly familiar.

Both screenings of this film will be presented with additional descriptive subtitles of non-dialogue audio. Visit our Accessible Screenings at LIFF 2023 page for more information and other accessible screenings at the festival.