Daughters of the Dust

(Julie Dash, US 1991, 112 min., DCP)

Black Female Filmmakers | Panel Discussion. With Daughters of the Dust, Julie Dash became the first African American woman to direct a feature that gained general theatrical release in the United States. The story follows the Peazants, a Gullah family, who are descendants of Central and West African enslaved people, on the Sea Islands off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina in 1902. A family dinner reunites three generations before members choose either to leave for a modern way of life on the mainland or to remain on the island to maintain their Gullah roots and way of life. The film is known for its lush visuals, scenery, and costumes—which served as major influences on Beyoncé’s 2016 visual album Lemonade—as well as its emotional depth in portraying the past, present, and future coming together.

A panel discussion will follow the screening. The panel will include Nicholle La Vann, award-winning filmmaker in pre-production for Tenacidad,  Delores Jackson Radney, community writer, theater artist, educator and art historian, and Tess Padmore, owner of Wolf Clan LLC, inventor, and writer of creative nonfiction.

Presented in partnership with the Rochester Association of Black Journalists and the Little Theatre’s Black Cinema Series.