Sarah’s Oil: A Legacy of Resilience and Faith

“Sarah’s Oil” is a story of young Sarah Rector, an 11-year-old girl who became noted as one of the richest Black girl’s in the world. A descendent of Creek Freedman, Sarah received an allotment of 160 acres of land, at the time thought to be worthless, as a result of a treaty with the U.S. government after the Civil War.

A true life story, the movie shines the light on Sarah’s grit and determination to fight against the greed of powerful oilmen who seek to swindle her out of her land. It is apparent that Sarah has been anointed for the battles that she will face and possesses a faith that even confounds her parents. A poignant moment in the film that exhibits her unshakeable faith occurs when Sarah, portrayed by Naya Desir-Johnson, lies on the ground and listens to what God opens her ears to hear – the gushing sound of oil – a sound imperceivable to others.

“The people who I want to see it the most are little Black girls all over the world, because when they see this, they might be like, ‘Wow, maybe I can do—’ like, if they have a dream in mind, they’ll be like, ‘I can do this too,” said Desir-Johnson of the film.

Her chance meeting with a wildcatter from Texas, who joins in her quest to retain her land, sets in motion a hard fought battle against greed and exploitation. Money-hungry oilmen plot to steal the land by force and deceit, but unexpectedly find themselves dealing with a miniature force to be reckoned with who has an uncanny wisdom and discernment beyond her years.

We watch as Bert Smith, the man who befriends her falls prey to his own greed, but see justice prevail when he has a change of heart and joins with other allies to help Sarah retain her land.

The film is eye-opening as the audience gains insights into the real-life journey of a young girl who becomes an unlikely millionaire and oil magnate in a time of extreme racial prejudice and segregation for Blacks, and does not fall victim to the predators determined to make a deceitful power-grab of her oil-rich land.

Actor Zachary Levi, who portrays “Bert,” describes the film as a story of faith, hope and perseverance.

“I was just so taken with it. I mean, this story was something I had never heard about—and really, nobody I knew had ever heard about. And I thought that was a shame. I thought that this was a story everyone should know,” said Levi.

“Sarah’s Oil” is a remarkable must-see movie that is as inspiring as it is horrifying as we witness the lengths that men in power go to fulfill their greed and the resilience and faith that move a young girl to stand her ground and speak truth to power in a time when Blacks had little power.

The film, an adaptation of Tonya Bolden’s book, “Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America,” stars Naya Desir-Johnson, Sonequa Martin-Green and Zachary Levi and is directed, co-produced, and co-written by Cyrus Nowrasteh along with wife, Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh. The film is produced by Wonder Project and Kingdom Story Company and distributed by Amazon MGM Studios.

Trailer: Amazon MGM Studios

Photo credit: Gillian Smith Chang | Amazon MGM Studios