Negotiating Identity in Sankofa’s In-Between (1992): The Opacity of Postcolonial Subjectivity

This article explores how the black British film and video collective Sankofa addresses postcolonial identity in their 1992 work In-Between . The film follows filmmaker Robert Crusz as he negotiates competing cultural expectations, feelings of nostalgia for Britain, what I term Britishtalgia, and a fragmented sense of self. Using ideas from postcolonial and cultural studies scholars such as Stuart Hall, Homi Bhabha, Frantz Fanon, Édouard Glissant, and Svetlana Boym, the article shows how cinema can express hybrid, dynamic identities. By combining archival and fictional footage, Crusz creates a space for creative self-expression, blending his Eastern and Western heritage while questioning dominant cultural narratives. The study highlights the film’s cinematic techniques in exploring transcultural memory, experiences of displacement, and personal journeys of belonging. In-Between demonstrates the potential of film to reclaim marginalised voices and offers insights into diasporic subjectivity, contributing to discussions in cultural studies, postcolonial theory, and minority cinemas.