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| name = Daughters of the Dust
| name = Daughters of the Dust
| image = Daughters of the Dust poster.png
| image = Daughters of the Dust poster.png
| image_size =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Julie Dash]]
| director = [[Julie Dash]]
| producer = Lindsay Law<br />Julie Dash<br />[[Arthur Jafa]]<br />Steven Jones
| producer = Lindsay Law<br />Julie Dash<br />[[Arthur Jafa]]<br />Steven Jones
| writer = Julie Dash
| writer = Julie Dash
| narrator =
| narrator =
| starring = Cora Lee Day<br />Barbara O<br />Alva Rogers<br />Trula Hoosier<br />Umar Abdurrahamn<br />Adisa Anderson<br />[[Kaycee Moore]]
| starring = Cora Lee Day<br />[[Barbara O. Jones]]<br />[[Alva Rogers]]<br />Trula Hoosier<br />Umar Abdurrahamn<br />Adisa Anderson<br />[[Kaycee Moore]]
| music = John Barnes
| music = John Barnes
| cinematography = Arthur Jafa
| cinematography = Arthur Jafa
| editing =
| editing = Amy Carey<br>Joseph Burton
| distributor = [[Kino International (company)|Kino International]]
| distributor = [[Kino International (company)|Kino International]]
| released = {{Film date|1991|01| |[[Sundance Film Festival]]|1992|01|03|United States}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Daughters of the Dust |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0104057/ |access-date=2021-04-22 |website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref>
| released = {{Film date|1991|01| |[[Sundance Film Festival]]|1992|01|03|United States}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Daughters of the Dust |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0104057/ |access-date=2021-04-22 |website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref>
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| budget = $800,000
| budget = $800,000
}}
}}
'''''Daughters of the Dust''''' is a 1991 [[independent film]] written, directed and produced by [[Julie Dash]] and is the first feature film directed by an African-American woman distributed theatrically in the United States.<ref name=NPR2016>Michel, Martin (November 20, 2016), [https://www.npr.org/2016/11/20/502797705/daughters-of-the-dust-re-released-following-attention-from-beyonc "'Daughters Of The Dust' – Re-Released Following Attention From Beyonce"], NPR – ''All Things Considered''. Retrieved February 7, 2017.</ref> Set in 1902, it tells the story of three generations of [[Gullah]] (also known as Geechee) women in the Peazant family on [[Saint Helena Island (South Carolina)|Saint Helena Island]] as they prepare to migrate off the island, out of the [[Southern United States]], and into the North.


'''''Daughters of the Dust''''' is a 1991 [[independent film]] written, directed and produced by [[Julie Dash]] and is the first feature film directed by an African-American woman to be theatrically released in the United States.<ref name=NPR2016>Michel, Martin (November 20, 2016), [https://www.npr.org/2016/11/20/502797705/daughters-of-the-dust-re-released-following-attention-from-beyonc "'Daughters Of The Dust' – Re-Released Following Attention From Beyonce"], NPR – ''All Things Considered''. Retrieved February 7, 2017.</ref> Set in 1902, it tells the story of three generations of [[Gullah]] (also known as Geechee) women in the Peazant family on [[Saint Helena Island (South Carolina)|Saint Helena Island]] as they prepare to migrate off the island, out of the Southern United States, and into the North.
The film gained critical praise for its lush visuals, Gullah dialogue and non-linear storytelling. The cast features Cora Lee Day, [[Alva Rogers]], [[Barbara O. Jones|Barbara-O]], Trula Hoosier, [[Vertamae Grosvenor]], and Kaycee Moore and was filmed on St. Helena Island in [[South Carolina]]. ''Daughters of the Dust'' was selected for the [[Sundance Film Festival|Sundance]] 1991 dramatic competition. Director of photography [[Arthur Jafa]] won the top cinematography prize.<ref>Grierson, Tim (November 8, 2016), [https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/features/why-we-need-indie-movie-daughters-of-the-dust-right-now-w450955 "'Daughters of the Dust': Why the Movie That Inspired 'Lemonade' Is Back"], ''Rolling Stone''. Retrieved February 7, 2017.</ref> The film is also known for being the first by an African American woman to gain a general theatrical release.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/blogs/la-rebellion/2011/10/07/daughters-dust-1991|title=Daughters of the Dust (1991) {{!}} UCLA Film & Television Archive|website=www.cinema.ucla.edu|language=en|access-date=September 20, 2018}}</ref>


The film received critical praise for its lush visuals, [[Gullah language]] dialogue and non-linear storytelling. The cast features Cora Lee Day, [[Alva Rogers]], [[Barbara O. Jones|Barbara-O]], Trula Hoosier, [[Vertamae Grosvenor]], and Kaycee Moore and was filmed on St. Helena Island in South Carolina. ''Daughters of the Dust'' was selected for the [[Sundance Film Festival|Sundance]] 1991 dramatic competition. Director of photography [[Arthur Jafa]] won the top cinematography prize.<ref>Grierson, Tim (November 8, 2016), [https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/features/why-we-need-indie-movie-daughters-of-the-dust-right-now-w450955 "'Daughters of the Dust': Why the Movie That Inspired 'Lemonade' Is Back"], ''Rolling Stone''. Retrieved February 7, 2017.</ref> The film is also known for being the first by an African-American woman to gain a general theatrical release.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/blogs/la-rebellion/2011/10/07/daughters-dust-1991|title=Daughters of the Dust (1991) {{!}} UCLA Film & Television Archive|website=www.cinema.ucla.edu|language=en|access-date=September 20, 2018}}</ref>
Dash has written two books about ''Daughters of the Dust'', one about making the film, co-authored with [[Toni Cade Bambara]] and [[bell hooks]], and one novel, a sequel set 20 years after the film's story. In 2004, the film was selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Librarian of Congress Adds 25 Films to National Film Registry|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-04-215/films-added-to-national-film-registry-for-2004/2004-12-28/|access-date=2020-09-25|website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Complete National Film Registry Listing {{!}} Film Registry {{!}} National Film Preservation Board {{!}} Programs at the Library of Congress {{!}} Library of Congress|url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/|access-date=2020-09-25|website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}</ref> For its 25th anniversary, ''Daughters of the Dust'' was restored and re-released in 2016 by the Cohen Media Group.<ref>Brody, Richard (November 18, 2016), [http://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/the-return-of-julie-dashs-historic-daughters-of-the-dust "The Return of Julie Dash's Historic 'Daughters of the Dust'"], ''The New Yorker''. Retrieved December 29, 2016.</ref>

Dash has written two books about ''Daughters of the Dust'', one about making the film, co-authored with [[Toni Cade Bambara]] and [[bell hooks]], and one novel, a sequel set 20 years after the film's narrative. In 2004, the film was selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Librarian of Congress Adds 25 Films to National Film Registry|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-04-215/films-added-to-national-film-registry-for-2004/2004-12-28/|access-date=2020-09-25|website=Library of Congress}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/|access-date=2020-09-25|website=Library of Congress}}</ref> For its 25th anniversary, ''Daughters of the Dust'' was restored and re-released in 2016 by the [[Cohen Media Group]].<ref>Brody, Richard (November 18, 2016), [http://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/the-return-of-julie-dashs-historic-daughters-of-the-dust "The Return of Julie Dash's Historic 'Daughters of the Dust'"], ''The New Yorker''. Retrieved December 29, 2016.</ref>


== Plot ==
== Plot ==
''Daughters of the Dust'' is set in 1902 among the members of the Peazant family, Gullah islanders who live at [[Igbo Landing|Ibo Landing]] on Dataw Island ([[St. Simons Island]]), off the Georgia coast.<ref name="kviff.com">(2012). [http://www.kviff.com/en/programme/film/082561-daughters-of-the-dust/ ''Daughters of the Dust'' Synopsis – Archive of Films], Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech Republic. Retrieved February 28, 2017.</ref> Their ancestors were brought there as enslaved people centuries ago, and the islanders developed a language—known as [[Gullah language|Gullah or Sea Island Creole English]]—and culture that was [[Creolization|creolized]] from West Africans of [[Igbo people|Ibo]], [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]], [[Mende people|Mende]], and [[Twi]] origin, along with some influence from the [[Bakongo people|Bakongo]] of central Africa as well the cultures and languages of the British Isles, with the common variety of [[English language|English]] being the [[Stratum (linguistics)|superstratum]] in this case<ref>Leonard, John, [http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/tv/reviews/2168/ "Island Notion"], ''New York Magazine''. Retrieved February 28, 2017.</ref> Developed in their relative isolation of large plantations on the islands, the enslaved peoples' unique culture and language have endured over time. Their dialogue is in Gullah creole.<ref name="kviff.com" />
''Daughters of the Dust'' is set in 1902 among the members of the Peazant family, Gullah islanders who live at [[Igbo Landing|Ibo Landing]] on Dataw Island ([[St. Simons Island]]), off the Georgia coast.<ref name="kviff.com">(2012). [http://www.kviff.com/en/programme/film/082561-daughters-of-the-dust/ ''Daughters of the Dust'' Synopsis – Archive of Films], Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech Republic. Retrieved February 28, 2017.</ref> Their ancestors were brought there as enslaved people centuries ago, and the islanders developed a language—known as [[Gullah language|Gullah or Sea Island Creole English]]—and culture that was [[Creolization|creolized]] from West Africans of [[Igbo people|Ibo]], [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]], [[Mende people|Mende]], and [[Twi]] origin, along with some influence from the [[Bakongo people|Bakongo]] of central Africa as well as the cultures and languages of the British Isles, with the common variety of English being the [[Stratum (linguistics)|superstratum]] in this case<ref>Leonard, John, [http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/tv/reviews/2168/ "Island Notion"], ''New York Magazine''. Retrieved February 28, 2017.</ref> Developed in their relative isolation of large plantations on the islands, the enslaved peoples' unique culture and language have endured over time. Their dialogue is in Gullah creole.<ref name="kviff.com" />


Narrated by the Unborn Child, the future daughter of Eli and Eula, whose voice is influenced by accounts of her ancestors, the film presents poetic visual images and circular narrative structures to represent the past, present and future for the Gullah, the majority of whom are about to embark for the mainland and a more modern, "civilized" way of life. The old ways and African ancestral history are represented by community matriarch Nana Peazant, who practices African spiritual rituals. Nana tells her family as she bids them to remember and honour their ancestors as they embark on their new journey, "We are two people in one body. The last of the old and the first of the new."
Narrated by the Unborn Child, the future daughter of Eli and Eula, whose voice is influenced by accounts of her ancestors, the film presents poetic visual images and circular narrative structures to represent the past, present and future for the Gullah, the majority of whom are about to embark for the mainland and a more modern, "civilized" way of life. The old ways and African ancestral history are represented by community matriarch Nana Peazant, who practices African spiritual rituals. Nana tells her family as she bids them to remember and honour their ancestors as they embark on their new journey, "We are two people in one body. The last of the old and the first of the new."
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Several other family members' stories unfold between these narratives. They include Haagar, a cousin who finds the old spiritual beliefs and provincialism of the island "backwards," and is impatient to leave for a more modern society with its educational and economic opportunities. Her daughter Iona longs to be with her secret lover St. Julien Lastchild, a Cherokee Native American, a resident of the island. Lastchild presents Iona with a letter confessing his devotion the day of Iona's departure asking her to stay with him.
Several other family members' stories unfold between these narratives. They include Haagar, a cousin who finds the old spiritual beliefs and provincialism of the island "backwards," and is impatient to leave for a more modern society with its educational and economic opportunities. Her daughter Iona longs to be with her secret lover St. Julien Lastchild, a Cherokee Native American, a resident of the island. Lastchild presents Iona with a letter confessing his devotion the day of Iona's departure asking her to stay with him.


While the women prepare a traditional meal for the feast, which includes okra, yams and shellfish prepared at the beach, the men gather nearby in groups to talk and play games. The children and teenagers play games, practice religious rites on the beach, and have a Bible-study session with Viola. Yellow Mary and Eula bond as survivors of rape. Bilal Muhammad, a cousin that is believed to be Ibo but hails from the French West Indies, leads a Muslim prayer. Nana evokes the spirits of the family's ancestors who worked on the island's indigo plantations. Nana combines the power of their ancestors with Viola's Bible as a symbol of the old and the new. Eula and Eli reveal the history and folklore of the slave uprising and mass suicide at Ibo Landing. The Peazant family members make their final decisions to leave the island for a new beginning, or stay behind and maintain their way of life. Yellow Mary chooses to stay on the island along with Eli and Eula. In tears, Iona jumps off of a departing boat as Lastchild comes for her on horseback. Haagar is held back by another family member while calling for her daughter. Remaining family members watch as most of the Peazants finally depart.
While the women prepare a traditional meal for the feast, which includes okra, yams and shellfish prepared at the beach, the men gather nearby in groups to talk and play games. The children and teenagers play games, practice religious rites on the beach, and have a Bible-study session with Viola. Yellow Mary and Eula bond as survivors of rape. Bilal Muhammad, a cousin that is believed to be Ibo but hails from the French West Indies, leads a Muslim prayer. Nana evokes the spirits of the family's ancestors who worked on the island's indigo plantations. Nana combines the power of their ancestors with Viola's Bible as a symbol of the old and the new. Eula and Eli reveal the history and folklore of the slave uprising and mass suicide at Ibo Landing. The Peazant family members make their final decisions to leave the island for a new beginning, or stay behind and maintain their way of life. Yellow Mary chooses to stay on the island along with Eli and Eula. In tears, Iona jumps off the boat prior to departing as Lastchild comes for her on horseback. Haagar is held back by another family member while calling for her daughter. Remaining family members watch as most of the Peazants finally depart.


== Cast ==
== Cast ==
{{cast list|
{{cast list|
*Cora Lee Day as Nana Peazant – Matriarch of the Peazant family, determined to stay on the island.
* Cora Lee Day as Nana Peazant – matriarch of the Peazant family, determined to stay on the island.
*Adisa Anderson as Eli Peazant – Nana's grandson, torn between traveling north and staying on the island.
* Adisa Anderson as Eli Peazant – Nana's grandson, torn between traveling north and staying on the island.
*Alva Rogers as Eula Peazant – Eli's wife, who was raped by a white man and is now pregnant.
* Alva Rogers as Eula Peazant – Eli's wife, who was raped by a white man and is now pregnant.
*Kay-Lynn Warren as Unborn Child – The spirit of Eula's unborn child, who is Eli's daughter, narrates much of the film and magically appears as a young girl in some scenes before her birth.
* Kay-Lynn Warren as Unborn Child – the spirit of Eula's unborn child, who is Eli's daughter, narrates much of the film and magically appears as a young girl in some scenes before her birth.
*[[Kaycee Moore]] as Haagar Peazant – Nana's strong-willed granddaughter-in-law, who is leading the migration north.
* [[Kaycee Moore]] as Haagar Peazant – Nana's strong-willed granddaughter-in-law, who is leading the migration north.
*Cheryl Lynn Bruce as Viola Peazant – One of Nana's granddaughters, she has already moved to Philadelphia and become a fervent Christian.
* Cheryl Lynn Bruce as Viola Peazant – one of Nana's granddaughters, she has already moved to Philadelphia and become a fervent Christian.
*Tommy Hicks as Mr. Snead – A photographer from Philadelphia, engaged by Viola to document the family's life on the island before they leave it for the North.
* Tommy Hicks as Mr. Snead – a photographer from Philadelphia, engaged by Viola to document the family's life on the island before they leave it for the North.
*Bahni Turpin as Iona Peazant – Haagar's daughter, in love with St. Julian, a Native American who will not leave the island.
* Bahni Turpin as Iona Peazant – Haagar's daughter, in love with St. Julian, a Native American who will not leave the island.
*M. Cochise Anderson as St. Julien Lastchild.
* M. Cochise Anderson as St. Julien Lastchild.
*Barbara-O as Yellow Mary – Another of Nana's granddaughters, she returns from the city for a final visit to the island and her family, along with her lover, Trula.
* [[Barbara O. Jones|Barbara-O]] as Yellow Mary – another of Nana's granddaughters, she returns from the city for a final visit to the island and her family, along with her lover, Trula.
*Trula Hoosier as Trula – Yellow Mary's young lover.
* Trula Hoosier as Trula – Yellow Mary's young lover.
*Umar Abdurrahman as Bilal Muhammad – A practicing Muslim, and a pillar of the island community.
* Umar Abdurrahman as Bilal Muhammad – a practicing Muslim, and a pillar of the island community.
*Cornell Royal as "Daddy Mac" Peazant – Patriarch of the family.
* Cornell Royal as "Daddy Mac" Peazant – patriarch of the family.
}}
}}


== Production ==
== Production ==

=== Development ===
=== Development ===
Originally conceived in 1975, Dash planned to make a short film with no dialogue as a visual account of a Gullah family's preparation to leave their [[Sea Islands|Sea Island]] home to a new life in the North. She was inspired by her father's Gullah family, who migrated to New York City in the early 20th century during the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]] of African Americans from the southern states. Her narrative forms were also inspired by the writing of [[Toni Morrison]], [[Alice Walker]] and [[Melville Herskovits]].<ref name="APnews">Coyle, Jake (November 18, 2016), [https://apnews.com/14cbf0077264447fafa33f2945a3609a/julie-dashs-landmark-daughters-dust-reborn "Julie Dash’s landmark ‘Daughters of the Dust’ is reborn"], ''AP News''. Retrieved October 5, 2017.</ref> As the story developed for more than 10 years, Dash clarified her artistic vision and together with [[Arthur Jafa]], her cinematographer and co-producer, she put together a short film to use for marketing.
Originally conceived in 1975, Dash planned to make a short film with no dialogue as a visual account of a Gullah family's preparation to leave their [[Sea Islands|Sea Island]] home to a new life in the North. She was inspired by her father's Gullah family, who migrated to New York City in the early 20th century during the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]] of African Americans from the southern states. Her narrative forms were also inspired by the writing of [[Toni Morrison]], [[Alice Walker]] and [[Melville Herskovits]].<ref name="APnews">Coyle, Jake (November 18, 2016), [https://apnews.com/14cbf0077264447fafa33f2945a3609a/julie-dashs-landmark-daughters-dust-reborn "Julie Dash’s landmark ‘Daughters of the Dust’ is reborn"], ''AP News''. Retrieved October 5, 2017.</ref> As the story developed for more than 10 years, Dash clarified her artistic vision and together with [[Arthur Jafa]], her cinematographer and co-producer, she put together a short film to use for marketing.


She was initially rejected by Hollywood executives, as this was to be her first full-length film. Dash said they thought it was "too different" as she thought their reaction was part of a systematic exclusion of black women from Hollywood. Persisting, Dash finally got $800,000 financing from [[PBS]]' ''[[American Playhouse]]'' in 1988.
She initially was rejected by Hollywood executives, as this was to be her first full-length film. Dash said they thought it was "too different" as she thought their reaction was part of a systematic exclusion of black women from Hollywood. Persisting, Dash finally got $800,000 financing from the PBS series ''[[American Playhouse]]'' in 1988.


=== Casting ===
=== Casting ===
With funding secured, Dash and Casting Director Len Hunt, cast a number of veterans of black independent cinema in various roles, as a tribute to the work they had done and the sacrifices they had made to work in independent films. She would hire a mix of union and non-union members for her crew, with the latter being cast for their familiarity with the Gullah language, which the main actors would have to learn. Rogers had one prior film credit with ''[[School Daze]]'' and was known for her work as a playwright and vocalist, while Jones had worked previously with Dash in the short ''Diary of an African Nun'' (1977) and Grosvenor was a culinary anthropologist with a Gullah background.
With funding secured, Dash and Casting Director Len Hunt, cast a number of veterans of black independent cinema in various roles, as a tribute to the work they had done and the sacrifices they had made to work in independent films. She would hire a mix of union and non-union members for her crew, with the latter being cast for their familiarity with the Gullah language, which the main actors would have to learn. Rogers had one previous film credit with ''[[School Daze]]'' and was known for her work as a playwright and vocalist, while Jones had worked previously with Dash in the short ''Diary of an African Nun'' (1977) and Grosvenor was a culinary anthropologist with a Gullah background.


=== Dialogue and narrative structure ===
=== Dialogue and narrative structure ===
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=== Principal photography ===
=== Principal photography ===
Director of photography Arthur Jafa began shooting on location at St. Helena Island and [[Hunting Island]], off the South Carolina coast.<ref>(2012). [http://www.ccpl.org/content.asp?id=126805&action=detail&catID=5380&parentID=5368 "About Filmmaker/Author Julie Dash: Dash turned to family roots as inspiration for film/book"], Charleston County Public Library. Retrieved February 28, 2017.</ref> Principal photography lasted 28 days, with a majority of the time spent shooting at exterior locations, such as the beach, in front of rustic homes, or further inland, where Nana's home is located near the island's graveyard. The sets, including cabins, the graveyard, and a figurative-sculpture dock at Igbo Landing, were constructed mostly using materials the Gullah would have had available at the time of the story. The costumes feature the women in long indigo-dyed and bright white dresses. The majority of closeups in the film are on the women, and the majority of dialogue is spoken by women and girls.<ref name=Kino /> American artist [[Kerry James Marshall]] handled production design, brought on by Jafa despite never meeting before.
Director of photography Arthur Jafa began shooting on location at St. Helena Island and [[Hunting Island]], off the South Carolina coast.<ref>(2012). [http://www.ccpl.org/content.asp?id=126805&action=detail&catID=5380&parentID=5368 "About Filmmaker/Author Julie Dash: Dash turned to family roots as inspiration for film/book"], Charleston County Public Library. Retrieved February 28, 2017.</ref> Principal photography lasted 28 days, with a majority of the time spent shooting at exterior locations, such as the beach, in front of rustic homes, or further inland, where Nana's home is located near the island's graveyard. The sets, including cabins, the graveyard, and a figurative-sculpture dock at Igbo Landing, were constructed mostly using materials the Gullah would have had available at the time of the story. The costumes feature the women in long indigo-dyed and bright white dresses. The majority of closeups in the film are on the women, and the majority of dialogue is spoken by women and girls.<ref name=Kino /> American artist [[Kerry James Marshall]] handled production design, brought on by Jafa despite never meeting before.

[[File:Pamela Ferrell on set Film Daughters of the Dust in 1989.png|thumb|Hairstylist [[Pamela Ferrell]] (first from left) on the set of ''Daughters of the Dust'', styling the hair of the actresses.]]
The key make-up artist and hair designer for ''Daughters of the Dust'' is [[Pamela Ferrell]]. During production, Ferrell worked very close with Julie Dash to help provide creative details needed for the vision and style of every scene in the movie. Ferrell also worked with the actors and actresses on set, where she detailed the make-up for each scene to help get the desired aesthetic.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Britt |first1=Donna |title=Film gets to the coifed roots of the African American aesthetic |issue = 115 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 16, 1992}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Bastlen |first1=Angelica Jade |title=We Have a Lifetime of Stories to Tell: Julie Dash on "Daughters of the Dust" |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/we-have-a-lifetime-of-stories-to-tell-julie-dash-on-daughters-of-the-dust |website=RogerEbert.com |publisher=Roger Ebert |access-date=19 June 2022 |ref=Pamela Farrell of Cornrows & Company}}</ref>


During production on Hunting Island, the crew was evacuated to Charleston, South Carolina to avoid the incoming [[Hurricane Hugo]]. Hugo changed track and scored a direct hit on Charleston, causing a historic amount of damage.
During production on Hunting Island, the crew was evacuated to Charleston, South Carolina to avoid the incoming [[Hurricane Hugo]]. Hugo changed track and scored a direct hit on Charleston, causing a historic amount of damage.


Often, the cast would have to come to set on a last-minute notice because of the environmental factors that took place.
Often, the cast would have to come to set on a last-minute notice because of the environmental factors that took place.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI Movie Club: DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST|url=https://www.afi.com/news/afi-movie-club-daughters-of-the-dust/|access-date=2021-07-26|website=American Film Institute|language=en}}</ref>
<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI Movie Club: DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST|url=https://www.afi.com/news/afi-movie-club-daughters-of-the-dust/|access-date=2021-07-26|website=American Film Institute|language=en}}</ref>


=== Post-production ===
=== Post-production ===
Editing began in January 1990, and it took nearly a year to complete the film.<ref name="Dembrow">Dembrow, Michael (2005), "Notes on ''Daughters of the Dust''," Cascade African Film Festival at Portland Community College.</ref> Dash chose not to use subtitles, preferring to have audiences be immersed in the language.<ref>Dash, Julie; Cade Bambara, Toni; hooks, bell (1992), "''Daughters of the Dust'': The Making of an African American Woman's Film" – introduction to the film, interview, and screenplay. The New Press.</ref> The soundtrack was composed by John Barnes, featuring a blend of Synclavier percussion with traditional instruments, including the Middle Eastern santour, and African bata and talking drums.<ref>Dash, Julie (2011), [http://juliedash.tv/blog3/music/ "The Music"], Julie Dash – Director, Writer, Producer. Retrieved February 28, 2017.</ref>
Editing began in January 1990, and it took nearly a year to complete the film.<ref name="Dembrow">Dembrow, Michael (2005), "Notes on ''Daughters of the Dust''," Cascade African Film Festival at Portland Community College.</ref> Dash chose not to use subtitles, preferring to have audiences be immersed in the language.<ref>Dash, Julie; Toni Cade Bambara; bell hooks (1992), "''Daughters of the Dust'': The Making of an African American Woman's Film" – introduction to the film, interview, and screenplay. The New Press.</ref> The soundtrack was composed by John Barnes, featuring a blend of [[Synclavier]] percussion with traditional instruments, including the Middle Eastern santour, and African bata and talking drums.<ref>Dash, Julie (2011), [http://juliedash.tv/blog3/music/ "The Music"], Julie Dash – Director, Writer, Producer. Retrieved February 28, 2017.</ref>


=== Release ===
=== Release ===
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== Reception ==
== Reception ==
The film opened in January 1992 to mostly critical acclaim. ''The Boston Globe'' called it "Mesmerizing ... a film rich with [black women's] faces, voices and movement."<ref>Smith, Patricia (March 20, 1992), [https://web.archive.org/web/20171006014431/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8734651.html "Mesmerizing, rich `Daughters of the Dust'"], ''The Boston Globe''. Retrieved October 5, 2017.</ref>
The film opened in January 1992 to mostly critical acclaim. The film holds a 94% approval rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]], based on 77 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.6/10. The site's consensus reads: "''Daughters of the Dust'' addresses its weighty themes with lovely visuals and a light, poetic touch, offering an original, absorbing look at a largely unexplored corner of American culture".<ref>[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/daughters_of_the_dust/ ''Daughters of the Dust'' (1991)] Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 5, 2021.</ref>


''The Boston Globe'' called it "Mesmerizing...a film rich with [black women's] faces, voices and movement."<ref>Smith, Patricia (March 20, 1992), [https://web.archive.org/web/20171006014431/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8734651.html "Mesmerizing, rich `Daughters of the Dust'"], ''The Boston Globe''. Retrieved October 5, 2017.</ref>
''The New York Times'' lauded the film's languid pace and "spellbinding visual beauty" while noting that its unconventional narrative structure made the characters in relation to the story at times difficult to follow. Critic Stephen Holden said the individual stories in the film formed a "broad weave in which the fabric of daily life, from food preparation to ritualized remembrance, is ultimately more significant than any of the psychological conflicts that surface." He hailed Dash as a "strikingly original film maker."<ref name=NYTHolden>Holden, Stephen (January 16, 1992), [https://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/16/movies/review-film-daughters-of-the-dust-the-demise-of-a-tradition.html "Review/Film; 'Daughters Of the Dust': The Demise Of a Tradition"], ''The New York Times''. Retrieved October 5, 2017.</ref>


[[Stephen Holden]] of ''The New York Times'' lauded the film's languid pace and "spellbinding visual beauty" while noting that its unconventional narrative structure made the characters in relation to the story at times difficult to follow. Critic Stephen Holden said the individual stories in the film formed a "broad weave in which the fabric of daily life, from food preparation to ritualized remembrance, is ultimately more significant than any of the psychological conflicts that surface." He hailed Dash as a "strikingly original film maker."<ref name=NYTHolden>Holden, Stephen (January 16, 1992), [https://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/16/movies/review-film-daughters-of-the-dust-the-demise-of-a-tradition.html "Review/Film; 'Daughters Of the Dust': The Demise Of a Tradition"], ''The New York Times''. Retrieved October 5, 2017.</ref>
[[Roger Ebert]] called the film a tone-poem and highlighted the screenplay's Gullah dialect: "The fact that some of the dialogue is deliberately difficult is not frustrating, but comforting; we relax like children at a family picnic, not understanding everything, but feeling at home with the expression of it."<ref>Ebert, Roger (March 13, 1992). [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19920313/REVIEWS/203130303/1023 "Review: ''Daughters of the Dust'',"] ''Chicago Sun-Time''. Retrieved February 28, 2017.</ref>


[[Roger Ebert]] of ''The Chicago Sun Times'' gave the film three stars out of a possible four. He called the ''Daughters of the Dust'' a [[Symphonic poem|tone-poem]] about emotions rather than telling a conventional narrative, and said while made on a small budget "it doesn't feel cheap" due to excellent use of cinematography, wardrobe and music. He also highlighted the screenplay's Gullah dialect: "The fact that some of the dialogue is deliberately difficult is not frustrating, but comforting; we relax like children at a family picnic, not understanding everything, but feeling at home with the expression of it."<ref>Ebert, Roger (March 13, 1992). [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19920313/REVIEWS/203130303/1023 "Review: ''Daughters of the Dust'',"] ''Chicago Sun-Time''. Retrieved February 28, 2017.</ref>
Upon its 2016 re-release, ''[[The Village Voice]]'' review commended the film's "stunning motifs and tableaux, the iconography seemingly sourced from dreams as much as from history and folklore."<ref>Anderson, Melissa (November 16, 2016), [http://www.villagevoice.com/film/daughters-of-the-dust-julie-dash-s-epochal-feature-embraces-realities-and-reveries-9345901 "''Daughters of the Dust'': Julie Dash’s Epochal Feature Embraces Realities and Reveries"], ''The Village Voice''. Retrieved February 28, 2016.</ref> ''[[The Guardian (newspaper)|Guardian]]'' critic Peter Bradshaw called the film "mysterious, fabular and sometimes dreamlike," comparing it to Chekhov or a performance of Shakespeare's Tempest.<ref>Bradshaw, Peter (May 31, 2017), [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/may/31/daughters-of-the-dust-review "Daughters of the Dust review – the dreamlike film that inspired Beyoncé's Lemonade"], ''The Guardian – U.S. Edition''. Retrieved October 5, 2017.</ref>


In 2022, ''Daughters of the Dust'' was named at number 60 in the [[The Sight & Sound Greatest Films of All Time 2022|''Sight & Sound'' Greatest Films of All Time]] list selected by critics and published every 10 years since 1952.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/greatest-films-all-time|title=The Greatest Films of All Time|website=Sight & Sound|publisher=[[British Film Institute]]|date=2022|access-date=December 5, 2022}}</ref>
The film holds a 94% approval rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]] based on 77 reviews, with a [[weighted arithmetic mean|weighted average]] of 7.6/10. The site's consensus reads: "''Daughters of the Dust'' addresses its weighty themes with lovely visuals and a light, poetic touch, offering an original, absorbing look at a largely unexplored corner of American culture".<ref>[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/daughters_of_the_dust/ ''Daughters of the Dust'' (1991)] Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 5, 2021.</ref>


Upon its 2016 re-release, ''The Village Voice'' review commended the film's "stunning motifs and tableaux, the iconography seemingly sourced from dreams as much as from history and folklore."<ref>Anderson, Melissa (November 16, 2016), [http://www.villagevoice.com/film/daughters-of-the-dust-julie-dash-s-epochal-feature-embraces-realities-and-reveries-9345901 "''Daughters of the Dust'': Julie Dash’s Epochal Feature Embraces Realities and Reveries"], ''The Village Voice''. Retrieved February 28, 2016.</ref> ''The Guardian'' critic Peter Bradshaw called the film "mysterious, fabular and sometimes dreamlike," comparing it to Chekhov or a performance of Shakespeare's Tempest.<ref>Bradshaw, Peter (May 31, 2017), [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/may/31/daughters-of-the-dust-review "Daughters of the Dust review – the dreamlike film that inspired Beyoncé's Lemonade"], ''The Guardian – U.S. Edition''. Retrieved October 5, 2017.</ref>
Despite the positive reviews, the promise of an illustrious film career did not pan out for Dash. She concluded that industry executives were uncertain about the film's unconventional form, stating in 2007 that "Hollywood and mainstream television are still not quite open to what I have to offer."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Dash|first=Julie|date=January 1, 2007|title=Making Movies That Matter: A Conversation with Julie Dash|jstor=27761685|journal=Black Camera|volume=22|issue=1|pages=4–12}}</ref>
Nonetheless, the film has continued to resonate with critics and audiences and Dash would go on to a productive television career.<ref name="APnews" />


Despite the positive reviews, Dash was unable to make another feature-length motion picture within the mainstream Hollywood system. She concluded industry executives were put off by the film's unconventional form, stating in 2007: "Hollywood and mainstream television are still not quite open to what I have to offer."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Dash|first=Julie|date=January 1, 2007|title=Making Movies That Matter: A Conversation with Julie Dash|jstor=27761685|journal=Black Camera|volume=22|issue=1|pages=4–12}}</ref> However, Dash would go on to a productive television career.<ref name="APnews" />
The Library of Congress added ''Daughters of the Dust'' to the National Film Registry in 2004, noting its status as the first feature-length film by an African-American woman to receive wide theatrical release, calling it an "evocative, emotional look at family, era and place."<ref>Cannady, Sheryl (December 28, 2004). [https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-04-215/films-added-to-national-film-registry-for-2004/2004-12-28/ "Librarian of Congress Adds 25 Films to National Film Registry"], Library of Congress. Retrieved October 5, 2017</ref>

The Library of Congress added ''Daughters of the Dust'' to the National Film Registry in 2004, noting its status as the first feature-length film by an African-American woman to receive wide theatrical release, calling it an "evocative, emotional look at family, era and place."<ref>Cannady, Sheryl (December 28, 2004). [https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-04-215/films-added-to-national-film-registry-for-2004/2004-12-28/ "Librarian of Congress Adds 25 Films to National Film Registry"], Library of Congress. Retrieved October 5, 2017.</ref>


== Restoration and re-release ==
== Restoration and re-release ==
For its 25th anniversary, the Cohen Media Group restored ''Daughters of the Dust'' for a screening at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival and a theatrical release. When [[Beyoncé]]'s acclaimed visual album ''[[Lemonade (Beyoncé album)|Lemonade]]'' aired on HBO and online in the spring of that year, critics noted that ''Lemonade'' made several visual references to ''Daughters of the Dust''. Beyoncé's modern take featured young women, some in long white dresses, walking toward a beach or settled on the front porch of a rustic island cabin. The homage brought attention to the film in articles for ''Vanity Fair'', ''Rolling Stone'', NPR, and ''Essence'', among other media outlets. With new acclaim, ''Daughters of the Dust'' was re-released in theaters in November, along with a new trailer and poster.<ref name=VanityFair>Desta, Yohanna. August 22, 2016. [http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/08/daughters-of-the-dust-exclusive "How Beyoncé’s Lemonade Helped Bring a Groundbreaking Film Back to Theaters"], ''Vanity Fair''. Retrieved February 26, 2017.</ref>
For its 25th anniversary, the Cohen Media Group restored ''Daughters of the Dust'' for a screening at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival and a theatrical release. When [[Beyoncé]]'s acclaimed visual album ''[[Lemonade (Beyoncé album)|Lemonade]]'' aired on HBO and online in the spring of that year, critics noted that ''Lemonade'' made several visual references to ''Daughters of the Dust''. Beyoncé's modern take featured young women, some in long white dresses, walking toward a beach or settled on the front porch of a rustic island cabin. The homage brought attention to the film in articles for ''Vanity Fair'', ''Rolling Stone'', NPR, and ''Essence''. With new acclaim, ''Daughters of the Dust'' was re-released in theaters in November 2016, along with a new trailer and poster.<ref name=VanityFair>Desta, Yohanna. August 22, 2016. [http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/08/daughters-of-the-dust-exclusive "How Beyoncé’s Lemonade Helped Bring a Groundbreaking Film Back to Theaters"], ''Vanity Fair''. Retrieved February 26, 2017.</ref>


== Awards and nominations ==
== Awards and nominations ==
Line 112: Line 116:
Dash has written two books related to ''Daughters of the Dust'':
Dash has written two books related to ''Daughters of the Dust'':
* Co-authored with Toni Cade Bambara and bell hooks, ''Daughters of the Dust: The Making of an African American Woman's Film'' (1992). The book includes the screenplay.
* Co-authored with Toni Cade Bambara and bell hooks, ''Daughters of the Dust: The Making of an African American Woman's Film'' (1992). The book includes the screenplay.
* ''Daughters of the Dust: A Novel'' (1997), a sequel set 20 years after the passage explored in the film. Amelia, a young anthropology student who grew up in Harlem, goes to the Sea Islands to meet her mother's relatives and learn about their culture. The novel was selected in 2011 for the [[Charleston County, South Carolina|Charleston County]] Public Library's "One Book Program."<ref name="Cohen">Cohen, Susan (September 14, 2011), [http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/twenty-years-later-julie-dashs-film-daughters-of-the-dust-continues-to-inspire/Content?oid=3582660 "Twenty years later, Julie Dash's film Daughters of the Dust continues to inspire"], ''Charleston City Paper''. Retrieved October 5, 2017.</ref>
* ''Daughters of the Dust: A Novel'' (1997), a sequel set 20 years after the passage explored in the film. Amelia, a young anthropology student who grew up in Harlem, goes to the Sea Islands to meet her mother's relatives and learn about their culture. The novel was selected in 2011 for the Charleston County Public Library's One Book Program.<ref name="Cohen">Cohen, Susan (September 14, 2011), [http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/twenty-years-later-julie-dashs-film-daughters-of-the-dust-continues-to-inspire/Content?oid=3582660 "Twenty years later, Julie Dash's film Daughters of the Dust continues to inspire"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409085937/https://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/twenty-years-later-julie-dashs-film-daughters-of-the-dust-continues-to-inspire/Content?oid=3582660 |date=2019-04-09 }}, ''Charleston City Paper''. Retrieved October 5, 2017.</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==
*[[Gullah|Gullah people]]
* [[Gullah|Gullah people]]
*[[Gullah language|Sea Island Creole English]]
* [[Gullah language|Sea Island Creole English]]
*[[Igbo Landing]]
* [[Igbo Landing]]


== References ==
== References ==
Line 125: Line 129:
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080607081239/http://geechee.tv/index1.html Official Site]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080607081239/http://geechee.tv/index1.html Official Site]
* {{IMDb title|id=0104057|title=Daughters of the Dust}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0104057|title=Daughters of the Dust}}
* {{tcmdb title|72377|Daughters of the Dust}}
* {{TCMDb title|72377|Daughters of the Dust}}
* {{allMovie title|12478}}
* {{AFI film|59221}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|daughters_of_the_dust}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|daughters_of_the_dust}}
* ''Daughter of the Dust'' essay by Daniel Eagan in America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, A&C Black, 2010 {{ISBN|0826429777}}, pages 805-806 [https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/deq3xI8OmCkC?hl=en]
* ''Daughter of the Dust'' essay by Daniel Eagan in America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, A&C Black, 2010 {{ISBN|0826429777}}, pages 805-806 [https://books.google.com/books?id=deq3xI8OmCkC]


{{Julie Dash}}
{{Julie Dash}}
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[[Category:1991 films]]
[[Category:1991 films]]
[[Category:1991 drama films]]
[[Category:1991 drama films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s feminist films]]
[[Category:1991 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:1991 independent films]]
[[Category:African-American drama films]]
[[Category:African-American drama films]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:American feminist films]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Julie Dash]]
[[Category:1990s feminist films]]
[[Category:Films set in 1902]]
[[Category:Films set in 1902]]
[[Category:Films set in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Films set in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Films shot in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Films shot in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Gullah in popular culture]]
[[Category:Gullah in popular culture]]
[[Category:History of women in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Southern Gothic films]]
[[Category:Southern Gothic films]]
[[Category:Sundance Film Festival award winners]]
[[Category:Sundance Film Festival award-winning films]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
[[Category:American feminist films]]
[[Category:1991 independent films]]
[[Category:1991 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Julie Dash]]

Latest revision as of 23:55, 7 May 2024

Daughters of the Dust
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJulie Dash
Written byJulie Dash
Produced byLindsay Law
Julie Dash
Arthur Jafa
Steven Jones
StarringCora Lee Day
Barbara O. Jones
Alva Rogers
Trula Hoosier
Umar Abdurrahamn
Adisa Anderson
Kaycee Moore
CinematographyArthur Jafa
Edited byAmy Carey
Joseph Burton
Music byJohn Barnes
Distributed byKino International
Release dates
[1]
Running time
112 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesGullah, English
Budget$800,000

Daughters of the Dust is a 1991 independent film written, directed and produced by Julie Dash and is the first feature film directed by an African-American woman to be theatrically released in the United States.[2] Set in 1902, it tells the story of three generations of Gullah (also known as Geechee) women in the Peazant family on Saint Helena Island as they prepare to migrate off the island, out of the Southern United States, and into the North.

The film received critical praise for its lush visuals, Gullah language dialogue and non-linear storytelling. The cast features Cora Lee Day, Alva Rogers, Barbara-O, Trula Hoosier, Vertamae Grosvenor, and Kaycee Moore and was filmed on St. Helena Island in South Carolina. Daughters of the Dust was selected for the Sundance 1991 dramatic competition. Director of photography Arthur Jafa won the top cinematography prize.[3] The film is also known for being the first by an African-American woman to gain a general theatrical release.[4]

Dash has written two books about Daughters of the Dust, one about making the film, co-authored with Toni Cade Bambara and bell hooks, and one novel, a sequel set 20 years after the film's narrative. In 2004, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."[5][6] For its 25th anniversary, Daughters of the Dust was restored and re-released in 2016 by the Cohen Media Group.[7]

Plot[edit]

Daughters of the Dust is set in 1902 among the members of the Peazant family, Gullah islanders who live at Ibo Landing on Dataw Island (St. Simons Island), off the Georgia coast.[8] Their ancestors were brought there as enslaved people centuries ago, and the islanders developed a language—known as Gullah or Sea Island Creole English—and culture that was creolized from West Africans of Ibo, Yoruba, Mende, and Twi origin, along with some influence from the Bakongo of central Africa as well as the cultures and languages of the British Isles, with the common variety of English being the superstratum in this case[9] Developed in their relative isolation of large plantations on the islands, the enslaved peoples' unique culture and language have endured over time. Their dialogue is in Gullah creole.[8]

Narrated by the Unborn Child, the future daughter of Eli and Eula, whose voice is influenced by accounts of her ancestors, the film presents poetic visual images and circular narrative structures to represent the past, present and future for the Gullah, the majority of whom are about to embark for the mainland and a more modern, "civilized" way of life. The old ways and African ancestral history are represented by community matriarch Nana Peazant, who practices African spiritual rituals. Nana tells her family as she bids them to remember and honour their ancestors as they embark on their new journey, "We are two people in one body. The last of the old and the first of the new."

Contrasting cousins, Viola, a devout Christian, and Yellow Mary, a free spirit who has brought her lover, Trula, from the city, arrive at the island by boat from their homes on the mainland for a last dinner with their family. Yellow Mary plans to leave for Nova Scotia after her visit. Mr. Snead, a mainland photographer, accompanies Viola and takes portraits of the islanders before they leave their way of life forever. Intertwined with these narratives is the marital rift between Eli and his wife Eula, who is about to give birth after being raped by a white man on the mainland. Eli struggles with the fact that the unborn child may not be his and his mother's pressure for him to maintain his connection to his ancestors. The unborn child of Eli and Eula narrates the film tracing the legacy before her birth.

Several other family members' stories unfold between these narratives. They include Haagar, a cousin who finds the old spiritual beliefs and provincialism of the island "backwards," and is impatient to leave for a more modern society with its educational and economic opportunities. Her daughter Iona longs to be with her secret lover St. Julien Lastchild, a Cherokee Native American, a resident of the island. Lastchild presents Iona with a letter confessing his devotion the day of Iona's departure asking her to stay with him.

While the women prepare a traditional meal for the feast, which includes okra, yams and shellfish prepared at the beach, the men gather nearby in groups to talk and play games. The children and teenagers play games, practice religious rites on the beach, and have a Bible-study session with Viola. Yellow Mary and Eula bond as survivors of rape. Bilal Muhammad, a cousin that is believed to be Ibo but hails from the French West Indies, leads a Muslim prayer. Nana evokes the spirits of the family's ancestors who worked on the island's indigo plantations. Nana combines the power of their ancestors with Viola's Bible as a symbol of the old and the new. Eula and Eli reveal the history and folklore of the slave uprising and mass suicide at Ibo Landing. The Peazant family members make their final decisions to leave the island for a new beginning, or stay behind and maintain their way of life. Yellow Mary chooses to stay on the island along with Eli and Eula. In tears, Iona jumps off the boat prior to departing as Lastchild comes for her on horseback. Haagar is held back by another family member while calling for her daughter. Remaining family members watch as most of the Peazants finally depart.

Cast[edit]

  • Cora Lee Day as Nana Peazant – matriarch of the Peazant family, determined to stay on the island.
  • Adisa Anderson as Eli Peazant – Nana's grandson, torn between traveling north and staying on the island.
  • Alva Rogers as Eula Peazant – Eli's wife, who was raped by a white man and is now pregnant.
  • Kay-Lynn Warren as Unborn Child – the spirit of Eula's unborn child, who is Eli's daughter, narrates much of the film and magically appears as a young girl in some scenes before her birth.
  • Kaycee Moore as Haagar Peazant – Nana's strong-willed granddaughter-in-law, who is leading the migration north.
  • Cheryl Lynn Bruce as Viola Peazant – one of Nana's granddaughters, she has already moved to Philadelphia and become a fervent Christian.
  • Tommy Hicks as Mr. Snead – a photographer from Philadelphia, engaged by Viola to document the family's life on the island before they leave it for the North.
  • Bahni Turpin as Iona Peazant – Haagar's daughter, in love with St. Julian, a Native American who will not leave the island.
  • M. Cochise Anderson as St. Julien Lastchild.
  • Barbara-O as Yellow Mary – another of Nana's granddaughters, she returns from the city for a final visit to the island and her family, along with her lover, Trula.
  • Trula Hoosier as Trula – Yellow Mary's young lover.
  • Umar Abdurrahman as Bilal Muhammad – a practicing Muslim, and a pillar of the island community.
  • Cornell Royal as "Daddy Mac" Peazant – patriarch of the family.

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

Originally conceived in 1975, Dash planned to make a short film with no dialogue as a visual account of a Gullah family's preparation to leave their Sea Island home to a new life in the North. She was inspired by her father's Gullah family, who migrated to New York City in the early 20th century during the Great Migration of African Americans from the southern states. Her narrative forms were also inspired by the writing of Toni Morrison, Alice Walker and Melville Herskovits.[10] As the story developed for more than 10 years, Dash clarified her artistic vision and together with Arthur Jafa, her cinematographer and co-producer, she put together a short film to use for marketing.

She initially was rejected by Hollywood executives, as this was to be her first full-length film. Dash said they thought it was "too different" as she thought their reaction was part of a systematic exclusion of black women from Hollywood. Persisting, Dash finally got $800,000 financing from the PBS series American Playhouse in 1988.

Casting[edit]

With funding secured, Dash and Casting Director Len Hunt, cast a number of veterans of black independent cinema in various roles, as a tribute to the work they had done and the sacrifices they had made to work in independent films. She would hire a mix of union and non-union members for her crew, with the latter being cast for their familiarity with the Gullah language, which the main actors would have to learn. Rogers had one previous film credit with School Daze and was known for her work as a playwright and vocalist, while Jones had worked previously with Dash in the short Diary of an African Nun (1977) and Grosvenor was a culinary anthropologist with a Gullah background.

Dialogue and narrative structure[edit]

For the sake of authenticity and poetry, the characters from the island speak in Gullah dialect. Ronald Daise, author of Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage (1987), was the dialect coach for her actors, none of whom knew Gullah at the start of production.

The narrative structure is non-linear, of which Dash explained:

I didn't want to tell a historical drama about African-American women in the same way that I had seen other dramas. I decided to work with a different type of narrative structure...[and] that the typical male-oriented western-narrative structure was not appropriate for this particular film. So I let the story unravel and reveal itself in a way in which an African Gullah would tell the story, because that's part of our tradition. The story unfolds throughout this day-and-a-half in various vignettes. It unfolds and comes back. It's a different way of telling a story. It's totally different, new.[11]

Principal photography[edit]

Director of photography Arthur Jafa began shooting on location at St. Helena Island and Hunting Island, off the South Carolina coast.[12] Principal photography lasted 28 days, with a majority of the time spent shooting at exterior locations, such as the beach, in front of rustic homes, or further inland, where Nana's home is located near the island's graveyard. The sets, including cabins, the graveyard, and a figurative-sculpture dock at Igbo Landing, were constructed mostly using materials the Gullah would have had available at the time of the story. The costumes feature the women in long indigo-dyed and bright white dresses. The majority of closeups in the film are on the women, and the majority of dialogue is spoken by women and girls.[11] American artist Kerry James Marshall handled production design, brought on by Jafa despite never meeting before.

Hairstylist Pamela Ferrell (first from left) on the set of Daughters of the Dust, styling the hair of the actresses.

The key make-up artist and hair designer for Daughters of the Dust is Pamela Ferrell. During production, Ferrell worked very close with Julie Dash to help provide creative details needed for the vision and style of every scene in the movie. Ferrell also worked with the actors and actresses on set, where she detailed the make-up for each scene to help get the desired aesthetic.[13][14]

During production on Hunting Island, the crew was evacuated to Charleston, South Carolina to avoid the incoming Hurricane Hugo. Hugo changed track and scored a direct hit on Charleston, causing a historic amount of damage.

Often, the cast would have to come to set on a last-minute notice because of the environmental factors that took place.[15]

Post-production[edit]

Editing began in January 1990, and it took nearly a year to complete the film.[16] Dash chose not to use subtitles, preferring to have audiences be immersed in the language.[17] The soundtrack was composed by John Barnes, featuring a blend of Synclavier percussion with traditional instruments, including the Middle Eastern santour, and African bata and talking drums.[18]

Release[edit]

Daughters of the Dust screened at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize and won the Excellence in Cinematography Award.[19] It was released by Kino International—the first feature film made by an African-American woman to be distributed theatrically in the United States.[2]

Reception[edit]

The film opened in January 1992 to mostly critical acclaim. The film holds a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 77 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.6/10. The site's consensus reads: "Daughters of the Dust addresses its weighty themes with lovely visuals and a light, poetic touch, offering an original, absorbing look at a largely unexplored corner of American culture".[20]

The Boston Globe called it "Mesmerizing...a film rich with [black women's] faces, voices and movement."[21]

Stephen Holden of The New York Times lauded the film's languid pace and "spellbinding visual beauty" while noting that its unconventional narrative structure made the characters in relation to the story at times difficult to follow. Critic Stephen Holden said the individual stories in the film formed a "broad weave in which the fabric of daily life, from food preparation to ritualized remembrance, is ultimately more significant than any of the psychological conflicts that surface." He hailed Dash as a "strikingly original film maker."[22]

Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun Times gave the film three stars out of a possible four. He called the Daughters of the Dust a tone-poem about emotions rather than telling a conventional narrative, and said while made on a small budget "it doesn't feel cheap" due to excellent use of cinematography, wardrobe and music. He also highlighted the screenplay's Gullah dialect: "The fact that some of the dialogue is deliberately difficult is not frustrating, but comforting; we relax like children at a family picnic, not understanding everything, but feeling at home with the expression of it."[23]

In 2022, Daughters of the Dust was named at number 60 in the Sight & Sound Greatest Films of All Time list selected by critics and published every 10 years since 1952.[24]

Upon its 2016 re-release, The Village Voice review commended the film's "stunning motifs and tableaux, the iconography seemingly sourced from dreams as much as from history and folklore."[25] The Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw called the film "mysterious, fabular and sometimes dreamlike," comparing it to Chekhov or a performance of Shakespeare's Tempest.[26]

Despite the positive reviews, Dash was unable to make another feature-length motion picture within the mainstream Hollywood system. She concluded industry executives were put off by the film's unconventional form, stating in 2007: "Hollywood and mainstream television are still not quite open to what I have to offer."[27] However, Dash would go on to a productive television career.[10]

The Library of Congress added Daughters of the Dust to the National Film Registry in 2004, noting its status as the first feature-length film by an African-American woman to receive wide theatrical release, calling it an "evocative, emotional look at family, era and place."[28]

Restoration and re-release[edit]

For its 25th anniversary, the Cohen Media Group restored Daughters of the Dust for a screening at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival and a theatrical release. When Beyoncé's acclaimed visual album Lemonade aired on HBO and online in the spring of that year, critics noted that Lemonade made several visual references to Daughters of the Dust. Beyoncé's modern take featured young women, some in long white dresses, walking toward a beach or settled on the front porch of a rustic island cabin. The homage brought attention to the film in articles for Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, NPR, and Essence. With new acclaim, Daughters of the Dust was re-released in theaters in November 2016, along with a new trailer and poster.[29]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Related books[edit]

Dash has written two books related to Daughters of the Dust:

  • Co-authored with Toni Cade Bambara and bell hooks, Daughters of the Dust: The Making of an African American Woman's Film (1992). The book includes the screenplay.
  • Daughters of the Dust: A Novel (1997), a sequel set 20 years after the passage explored in the film. Amelia, a young anthropology student who grew up in Harlem, goes to the Sea Islands to meet her mother's relatives and learn about their culture. The novel was selected in 2011 for the Charleston County Public Library's One Book Program.[33]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Daughters of the Dust". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  2. ^ a b Michel, Martin (November 20, 2016), "'Daughters Of The Dust' – Re-Released Following Attention From Beyonce", NPR – All Things Considered. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  3. ^ Grierson, Tim (November 8, 2016), "'Daughters of the Dust': Why the Movie That Inspired 'Lemonade' Is Back", Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  4. ^ "Daughters of the Dust (1991) | UCLA Film & Television Archive". www.cinema.ucla.edu. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  5. ^ "Librarian of Congress Adds 25 Films to National Film Registry". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-09-25.
  6. ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-09-25.
  7. ^ Brody, Richard (November 18, 2016), "The Return of Julie Dash's Historic 'Daughters of the Dust'", The New Yorker. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  8. ^ a b (2012). Daughters of the Dust Synopsis – Archive of Films, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech Republic. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  9. ^ Leonard, John, "Island Notion", New York Magazine. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  10. ^ a b Coyle, Jake (November 18, 2016), "Julie Dash’s landmark ‘Daughters of the Dust’ is reborn", AP News. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  11. ^ a b Dash, Julie (Director) (2000). Touching Our Own Spirit: The Making of Daughters of the Dust (short documentary). United States: Kino International.
  12. ^ (2012). "About Filmmaker/Author Julie Dash: Dash turned to family roots as inspiration for film/book", Charleston County Public Library. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  13. ^ Britt, Donna (June 16, 1992). "Film gets to the coifed roots of the African American aesthetic". The Washington Post. No. 115.
  14. ^ Bastlen, Angelica Jade. "We Have a Lifetime of Stories to Tell: Julie Dash on "Daughters of the Dust"". RogerEbert.com. Roger Ebert. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  15. ^ "AFI Movie Club: DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST". American Film Institute. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  16. ^ Dembrow, Michael (2005), "Notes on Daughters of the Dust," Cascade African Film Festival at Portland Community College.
  17. ^ Dash, Julie; Toni Cade Bambara; bell hooks (1992), "Daughters of the Dust: The Making of an African American Woman's Film" – introduction to the film, interview, and screenplay. The New Press.
  18. ^ Dash, Julie (2011), "The Music", Julie Dash – Director, Writer, Producer. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  19. ^ George, Nelson (January 25, 2012), "From the Collection: Julie Dash’s 1991 Sundance Award-Winning Daughters of the Dust", Sundance Institute. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  20. ^ Daughters of the Dust (1991) Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  21. ^ Smith, Patricia (March 20, 1992), "Mesmerizing, rich `Daughters of the Dust'", The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  22. ^ Holden, Stephen (January 16, 1992), "Review/Film; 'Daughters Of the Dust': The Demise Of a Tradition", The New York Times. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  23. ^ Ebert, Roger (March 13, 1992). "Review: Daughters of the Dust," Chicago Sun-Time. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  24. ^ "The Greatest Films of All Time". Sight & Sound. British Film Institute. 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  25. ^ Anderson, Melissa (November 16, 2016), "Daughters of the Dust: Julie Dash’s Epochal Feature Embraces Realities and Reveries", The Village Voice. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  26. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (May 31, 2017), "Daughters of the Dust review – the dreamlike film that inspired Beyoncé's Lemonade", The Guardian – U.S. Edition. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  27. ^ Dash, Julie (January 1, 2007). "Making Movies That Matter: A Conversation with Julie Dash". Black Camera. 22 (1): 4–12. JSTOR 27761685.
  28. ^ Cannady, Sheryl (December 28, 2004). "Librarian of Congress Adds 25 Films to National Film Registry", Library of Congress. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  29. ^ Desta, Yohanna. August 22, 2016. "How Beyoncé’s Lemonade Helped Bring a Groundbreaking Film Back to Theaters", Vanity Fair. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  30. ^ "Daughters of the Dust-Archives", Sundance Film Festival Archives, 1991
  31. ^ "From the Collection: Julie Dash’s 1991 Sundance Award-Winning Daughters of the Dust" Archived January 7, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Sundance Film Festival, January 25, 2012
  32. ^ "New York Film Critics Circle Awards". Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  33. ^ Cohen, Susan (September 14, 2011), "Twenty years later, Julie Dash's film Daughters of the Dust continues to inspire" Archived 2019-04-09 at the Wayback Machine, Charleston City Paper. Retrieved October 5, 2017.

External links[edit]