
2026 • 50m • Documentary
Availability
Available until Oct 12, 2028
Available Worldwide
Language
English
Closed Captions
English
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About the film
Omar Bah became a journalist by walking into a newspaper in his home country, Gambia, and offering to help expose government corruption. For his courage, he was tortured by the people he tried to expose, and eventually fled Gambia when a bounty was placed on his head by the regime of the country’s then-president Yahya Jammeh.
"Unbowed" is a moving, intimate portrait of exiled Gambian journalist Dr. Omar Bah, whose life takes a remarkable turn when he resettles in Rhode Island as a refugee. This profoundly life-altering experience sets Omar on a new path, becoming a local and national activist, advocate, and leader for refugee communities.
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Director
Mae Gammino
Crew
David Helfer Wells
Awards & recognition
Freedom Festival International
Official Selection
Block Island Film Festival
Best Political Documentary Short
Africa International Human Rights Film Festival
Official Selection
iRepresent International Documentary Film Festival
Official Selection
Nordic Star Festival 2026
Official Selection
Torino Underground Cinefest
Selected
What people are saying
“"Bah’s escape from Gambia — and what happened next — is the subject of the new documentary Unbowed, by Mae Gammino and David Helfer Wells. The film, which follows Bah through a crucial year, arrives at a perilous time for refugees and all immigrants to the United States.””
Tim Molloy
“"The movie speaks not just to contemporary America but also to current happenings across the globe. Omar’s adventurous life notwithstanding, the refugee issues he tackles through the RDC explain why the movie, “Unbowed,” can never be wished away and will indeed remain relevant as long as people continue to migrate from one country to another, as long as they continue to seek better lives on other shores, whether forced or voluntary…"”
Nehru Odeh
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