September 17: Daughters of the Dust

This week’s film is Daughters of the Dust, directed by Julie Dash.

In 1902, the Peazant family gathers at their traditional island home one last time before migrating north for a better life. As they celebrate on the beach, long-simmering tensions within the family come to a boil as they grapple with the legacy of slavery as well as their own heritage and survival.

Inspired by her father’s family migration from the southern states to New York City in the early 20th century, director Julie Dash presents a lush visual account of a Gullah family’s struggle in a story developed over 10 years.

Daughters of the Dust received widespread acclaim for its originality and cultural significance. Audiences were drawn to the film's rich storytelling and the way it celebrated the Gullah culture, which had been largely ignored by mainstream cinema. The film is also significant as it was the first feature film directed by an African-American woman to be distributed theatrically in the US.

About the film’s concept, Dash said to Vogue: “I was very excited by the opportunity to depict African-American women, or women from the African diaspora, in a way that was different from what I was seeing on television at the time or what I saw in blaxploitation films.”

She continued, in an interview with website Roger Ebert, about the importance of telling black stories, and supporting black female directors.

“We have a lifetime of stories to tell. There are so many stories … We need more people telling our stories and telling them the way they ought to be told.”

Daughters of the Dust will screen at the Gala to all IFS members on Sunday, 17 September at 7pm. Make sure you don’t miss this emotional, culturally significant film!