DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST

JULIE DASH | USA/UK | 1991 | 112 MIN | NR

Often cited as the first theatrically distributed film directed by an African American woman, Julie Dash’s masterpiece is a tribute to the Gullah people of the American South—descendants of enslaved Africans who settled in isolated coastal areas and developed a distinct language and culture. Set over the course of one long day in 1902, Daughters of the Dust follows various members of the Peazant family as they prepare to leave their ancestral island home for a more modern life on the mainland. Dash weaves between various members of the clan, including hard-headed matriarch Nana Peazant (Cora Lee Day), who fights desperately to retain her connection to her ancestors and her traditional ways, and beautiful, mysterious Yellow Mary (Barbara-O), a “fallen woman” returning to the island after a painful absence. From these stories, Dash assembles a rich, varied tapestry, in which the history of the Gullah people is rendered through sublime visual poetry.

Cast: Alva Rogers, Bahni Turpin, Barbara-O, Cheryl Lynn Bruce

“One of the most distinctive, original independent films of the time.” –The New Yorker

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