The President’s Daughter & The Richest Freeborn Lady
An inspiring portrait of author Cynthia McLeod and her tireless quest to bring a forgotten chapter of Surinamese history back into the spotlight.
Since 2019, filmmaker Mildred Roethof has followed renowned Surinamese writer and historian Cynthia McLeod on her mission to restore the legacy of Elisabeth Samson. In the eighteenth century, Samson became Suriname’s first freeborn Black female millionaire, yet her extraordinary story remained largely absent from mainstream historical narratives. As McLeod campaigns for greater recognition, the film travels from Suriname’s interior to The Hague and Paramaribo, against the backdrop of ongoing debates surrounding colonial history and the Dutch government’s formal apologies.
The President’s Daughter & the Richest Freeborn Lady is more than a historical documentary. It is also an intimate and engaging portrait of a remarkable woman who continues to advocate for social justice with wit, determination and remarkable clarity. Roethof combines personal reflections on ageing, legacy and mortality with broader questions about colonial memory, representation and historical accountability. The result is a moving and thought-provoking documentary about the power of storytelling and the importance of those who refuse to let history be forgotten.
Please note that this film is in Dutch, without subtitles.