When We Were Kings is director Leon Gast's documentary about the heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali's experience in Zaire, where he went to fight George Foreman in 1974. Here are some questions to consider while you watch the film:
1. These two boxers are from the U.S., so why did their match take place in Africa?
2. Why were the people of Zaire so enthusiastic about Ali?
3. What was Ali's reaction to the people, the place?
4. As director, Leon Gast did not simply turn the cameras on and let them roll. He crafted 94 minutes of deliberately chosen footage, often set to music, cut and spliced to produce certain effects on viewers. What choices did Gast make?
5. The film seems to suggest - as does Ali himself - that there are important qualities and experiences shared by black Africans and black African Americans. What do you think of this "pan-Africanist" sensibility? Do you see it as persuasive or problematic?
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