Jamal Ademola’s Documentary 'House of Aama: Threads of Legacy' Makes Digital Premiere

House of Aama: Threads of Legacy makes its digital premiere on July 15th, as part of the third season of In The Making, a documentary short series produced for the long-running and critically acclaimed PBS television program American Masters in association with Firelight Media. Directed by Jamal Ademola and executive produced by EmmoLei Sankofa, Threads of Legacy delves into acclaimed fashion label House of Aama’s spiritual approach to fashion, anchored in personal archives, Black folklore, and storytelling. The film is now streaming on the PBS YouTube channel, pbs.org/americanmasters, and the PBS app.

“It was a true honour to share the story of House of Aama through such an esteemed series as American Masters,” says Jamal. “What Akua Shabaka and her mother, Rebecca Henry, are doing with the brand represents a form of African diaspora storytelling and artistic expression that goes beyond the walls of retail. That story deeply resonated with me and perfectly aligned with In the Making’s focus on emerging cultural icons.”

Threads of Legacy chronicles the story behind House of Aama’s 2024 collection, 'Sun Records,' an homage to Shabaka’s late father, Jamaiel Shabaka, a prominent figure in the LA Free Jazz scene and keeper of the family archives.

Through interviews, vérité footage, and archival material, Ademola wove a rich visual tapestry that immerses viewers in the creative world of House of Aama. Filmed over five days, production spanned their downtown LA studio, the neighbouring Fashion District, garment districts in Accra, Ghana, and New York Fashion Week, culminating in the House of Aama team’s preparation for the runway debut of the 'Sun Records' collection.

Jamal set out to push the conventions of documentary storytelling with Threads of Legacy. He achieved this through visual experimentation inspired by the brand and elements of the 'Sun Records' collection.

One of the most striking expressions of this approach is a mystical VFX sequence in which the women’s braided hair grows and intertwines. The sequence was inspired by Anansi the Spider, a trickster folk hero from Ashanti folklore in Ghana, West Africa. Ademola extended the braid concept in the form of a 2D animated title card designed by Cecilia Erlich.

“Anansi’s story symbolically reflects the migration of African people to the Caribbean and the American South,” explains Jamal. “For the Afro braids sequence, I collaborated with hair artist Fesa Nu and VFX supervisor Simon Mowbray of Where the Buffalo Roam to convey the idea of interconnected ancestral, cultural, and familial roots. I wanted to visually express Akua and Rebecca’s creative bond, and the matrilineal thread of Black women passing down traditions of clothing and craft.”

As Threads of Legacy reflects on House of Aama’s becoming, Ademola collaborated with artist and researcher Ethel-Ruth Tawe and composer EmmoLei Sankofa, both of whom contributed to the film’s textured sense of memory, family, and archive. Ethel-Ruth’s archival research echoed the brand’s ritual of remembering, while Sankofa’s minimalist, evocative score added a sonic layer rooted in ancestral resonance.

“Researching Black oral tradition and sonic practices was the entry point, particularly in relation to the free jazz movement,” says Ethel-Ruth. “The process felt like collaging pieces of history into this moment, reflected in both House of Aama and Jamal’s work. It was interesting to explore how to incorporate Anansi stories from various diasporic contexts and then delve into the ways these storytelling traditions are visually translated. The archive is both vast and violent; the team treated this with much care.”

“The score for Threads of Legacy is intentionally minimalist, yet deeply evocative,” adds EmmoLei. “I wanted to tap into ancestral ties, mysticism, and the rich sonic lineage of Black American roots in an elegant way that honoured the essence of Akua and Rebecca, and their story.”

Threads of Legacy made its world premiere as part of a special In the Making program at the 2024 DOC NYC Festival. It was subsequently selected for the New York African Film Festival, the Seattle Black Film Festival, and the Cascade Festival of African Films.