Personal Info
Birth date
1982-04-19 (43 Years)
Gender
Male
Known for
Directing
Place of birth
Accra, Ghana
Also known as
Blitz the Ambassador
Sam Blitz Bazawule
Samuel Bazawule
Blitz Bazawule
Biography
Blitz Bazawule is a filmmaker and musician born in Accra, Ghana and based in Brooklyn, New York. Blitz's short films Native Sun (2012) and Diasporadical Trilogìa (2016) have premiered at BAM New Voices in Black Cinema. His debut feature film The Burial of Kojo was released in 2018, later released on Netflix via Ava DuVernay's ARRAY distribution company. Bazawule wrote, directed, co-edited and co-prouced the film, as well as providing the soundtrack. As a musician and band leader, Bazawule has released 4 studio albums under the name Blitz the Ambassador - Stereotype (2009), Native Sun (2011), Afropolitan Dreams (2014) and Diasporadical (2016) as well as the soundtrack album to The Burial of Kojo (2019) - and has performed at music festivals such as Roskilde (Denmark), Solidays (France), Mawazine (Morocco) and Sauti za Busara (Zanzibar). Blitz is a 2016 TED Fellow and recipient of the Vilcek Prize.
Filmography
The Daily Show
6.387
Overview:
The World's Fakest News Team tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and pop culture.The Jennifer Hudson Show
5.981
Overview:
Talented entertainer and newly-minted EGOT Jennifer Hudson takes on the daytime talk show landscape.Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter
8.5
Overview:
THR’s famed Roundtables are reimagined for broadcast and offer a fresh perspective on a classic, showcasing the collective brilliance of the entertainment industry's finest and funniest minds as never before.The Color Purple
7.069
Overview:
A decades-spanning tale of love and resilience and of one woman's journey to independence. Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.Black Is King
7.3
Overview:
This visual album from Beyoncé reimagines the lessons of "The Lion King" (2019) for today's young kings and queens in search of their own crowns.Oprah & The Color Purple Journey
3.333
Overview:
A behind-the-scenes look into the making of the new feature film “The Color Purple,” and the impact the story has had on our culture. Oprah Winfrey takes viewers inside the four-decade phenomenon, exploring the importance of the novel, films and musical, and the ever-evolving conversation around this seminal work.The Burial of Kojo
6.5
Overview:
A man is trapped in a mine shaft by his vengeful brother while his daughter embarks on a magical journey to rescue him.Native Sun
6
Overview:
Mumin, a precocious young boy, makes the long trip to Accra from his home in Ghana’s rural northern region. He leaves having just experienced his mothers death, her last words to him a directive to travel to Accra and find the father he has never met. Along the journey he experiences Ghana as only a child can and in so doing expands our view of what the country is and what it will be.Diasporadical Trilogia
7
Overview:
Diasporadical Trilogìa follows the story of a woman who mysteriously lived on three different continents at the same time. Through a magical realism lens, she shares her memories of growing up as a little girl in Brooklyn, a young lady in Accra and a middle aged woman in Bahia, while struggling with love, immigration and gentrification.Acting
2023Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter (1 Episode) as Self
2023Oprah & The Color Purple Journey as Self
2022The Jennifer Hudson Show (1 Episode) as Self
2011Native Sun as The Photographer (as Blitz the Ambassador)
1996The Daily Show (1 Episode) as Self
Crew
2023The Color Purple ... Executive Music Producer
Directing
2023The Color Purple ... Director
2020Black Is King ... Director
2018The Burial of Kojo ... Director
2016Diasporadical Trilogia ... Director
2011Native Sun ... Director
Production
2018The Burial of Kojo ... Producer, Casting
2016Diasporadical Trilogia ... Executive Producer
2011Native Sun ... Producer
Editing
2018The Burial of Kojo ... Editor