The producers were drawn to the project during the spiritual turmoil that followed the September 11, 2001 attacks. According to Alex Kronemer, one of Unity Productions Foundation's executive producers, the story brought up a question about the plight of slaves completely disconnected from their native cultures. "In times of great tension and stress, people seek out their religious connections. But what was the spiritual life of the enslaved Africans? We don't know much about that."