With Bushman, director David Schickele intended to make a narrative film based on the experiences of his friend Paul Eyam Nzie Okpokam, who had come from Nigeria to teach at San Francisco State College in the 1960s. The pair embarked on a collaboration meant to consider racism and otherness during a time of cultural upheaval in the Bay Area. Okpokam stars as Gabriel, a character who embodies Okpokam’s own story of coming to America. Their stunning black-and-white film traces Gabriel’s intimate relationships with several women as well as more casual encounters with friends and locals, revealing the painful effects of immigrating to a new country and yearning to be accepted and understood. Partway through the film, Bushman takes a devastating real-life turn that interrupts the dramatic project. As a result, Schickele pivots his filmmaking to document and describe what happened to Okpokam, amplifying the very themes of the original scripted portrayal. ST