Coded Black
Synopsis
This is an experience designed to be difficult – mentally and emotionally. Drawing from primary sources, historical records and scholarly analysis, CODED BLACK offers a journey through past atrocities and moments of triumph.
Explore two distinct, atmospheric scenes – a plantation and a modern 20th-century city – each filled with real historical documents and audio visual storytelling. With a structure that surfaces different content in each run, CODED BLACK is a narrative crafted for both personal reflection and educational engagement.
The game deals with the historical topic of slavery and racism, and therefore includes descriptions of violent acts, images of devices used for the chastisement of enslaved people, and archival imagery depicting victims of lynching. (Note, there is a museum version available with the lynching images disabled).
Official Selection International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) 2025 - Digital Storytelling Competition
Official Selection CPH:DOX 2026
Details
- Year
- 2025
- Type of project
- Game
- Running time
- 120 min
- Director
-
Maisha Wester
- Producer
- Nick Bax
- Editor
- Mary Going
- Screenwriter
- Maisha Wester; Desiree Reynolds
- Production Designer
- Abby Hambleton
- Composer
- Brandon Tanner
- Principal cast
- Karen David; Bel Odawa
- Other Lead Creative(s)
- Lucas Bax
Genre
Production Status
Production Company
Human Studio
Nick Bax27 Gilbert Street
Park Hill
Sheffield
S2 5QY
Page updates
This page was last updated on 6th March 2026. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.
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