By Milo Haskour —
They said her 160 acres of land was worthless because it was unsuitable for farming, but 11-year-old Sarah Rector, the daughter a slaves, could “hear” oceans of oil underground in the movie out now Sarah’s Oil, based on a true story.
“We need this story because there are many little black girls right now who aren’t feeling empowered that they can do anything because society is purposely shutting them out,” says star Haitian-American Naya Desir-Johnson, whose age is not publicized. “When black girls hear this story they’ll know that they can do anything. If the world tells them no, that’s just a reason to keep pushing and go forward.”
Produced by The Wonder Project (which also does House of David) and Kingdom Story Company, Sarah’s Oil explores themes of Christian faith, family, perseverance, bravery, ambition and supportive community. Its release date was pushed up to November from December, and you can see it it theaters now. As of publication, it has received 78% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
The real Sarah Rector became an oil magnate at age 12 and was Oklahoma‘s richest person, prompting marriage proposals and the official changing of her racial status to white by the Oklahoma Legislature. By 1913, she received royalties of $11,567 (equivalent to #368,000 in 2024).
The movie imbues her the historical drama with a strong undercurrent of faith. God, she say, told her there was oil under her land. ““I can hear it, churning and swirling, like oceans down there,” the child of slaves says.
When she looks for a wildcatter/partner to drill, she responds to their skepticism: “The good Lord put it in my head. I heard it loud and clear.”
The movie has impacted little Naya Desir-Johnson: “Playing Sarah taught me how to pray bolder. Those prayer scenes weren’t just acting; the whole set would go quiet and you could feel the Holy Spirit.”
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