 | |
List Price: $34.95 | | Label: Kino International
Salesrank: 66068
Released: June 27, 2000 |
| Our Price: $24.39 |
| Used Price: $36.16 |
|
MPAA Rating:
Media: DVD |
|
Editorial Review:
Working with a theme and history that's obviously dear to her heart, first-time writer-director Julie Dash's exquisitely alive film chronicles the last days of the Gullah, an Americanized West African people in danger of losing their identity. Dash makes up for some overly schematic dialogue and an occasionally pokey pace with some strong performances (particularly Cora Lee Day as the sternly matriarchal Nana) and an absolutely wonderful visual sense (kudos should also go to her ace cinematographer Arthur Jafa, whose dazzlingly sumptuous imagery surely inspired Jonathan Demme's later Beloved). A rapturously textured, wholly mesmerizing glimpse into the Gullah culture. --Andrew Wright
Daughters of the Dust Reviews:
Daughters of the Dust 
2008-11-09 - Calling daughters of the dust an unusual film is somewhat of an understatement. the film doesn't follow most Hollywood film conventions. That being said i think daughters of the dust is a good film, worth watching for, if nothing else, its originality. it shows the life of a family living on the Gullah islands, days before they plan on moving to mainland America.
The film is quite simple with most of the time spent showing the character's relationships and interactions with each other. The actors in the film do a great job at playing there characters honestly and realistically. Daughters of the Dust intentionally doesn't follow a strong linear plot. Julie dash wanted to create a new kind of film and she seems to have succeeded. The power of this movie is in its images, music and relationships of its character.
Beautiful Story 
2008-10-31 - A delightful blend of history and folklore that is the unique history of the American south. A must view for people of color, especially those that have Southern roots and in Gullah culture. I enjoyed the book more but books are always more in depth and richer.
'Dusting' Off a History You Don't Read About in School..... 
2008-04-04 - When asked what your knowledge of the history of the South encompassed what would you say? For me, it would be a brief overview of the Civil War, the Migration North for African Americans seeking a new life in the boroughs of New York and Chicago (among other places) and the Civil Rights Movement (with an emphasis on the life's work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., of course). There is so much more to this history that we don't commonly hear about in textbooks though. Specifically, the subject I am referring to is that of the Gullah, a group of African Americans who made their home in the Low Country of South Carolina and Georgia. They are also known as Geechee. They spoke their own distinctive dialect, prepared Gullah rice dishes (like red rice and okra soup), and herbal medicines based on traditional African practices.
In DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST, a 1991 release directed by Julie Dash, we get a glimpse into the culture of the Gullah. I am not certain, but, I believe this may be the first and only film of its kind released in theaters to really explore them. The cinematography is beautiful and really is the highlight of this story. The colors are hypnotic and visual imagery rich. The subjects appear illuminated and have an ethereal glow.
Unfortunately, the emphasis on aesthetic beauty, here, does not carry into other aspects of the film. Scenes of the Gullah clan fighting, working, praying, performing ritual, falling in love, and reflecting on the deep wounds of ancestral pain are not presented in a linear or comprehensible way. I realize that in order to really comprehend what is going on, on a deeper level, it helps to have more of a background in the cultural practices of the Gullah. How many people truly have a grasp on this significance, though? It truly would have been wonderful if the director, Julie Dash, had been more inclusive of her audience. I almost sense that this film is a valentine to the past. We watch scenes of beautiful women walking along the shore, preaching gospel to young children, experiencing visitations from the spirit world and men struggling to make peace with themselves and their culture, in preparation to journey north, uprooting themselves from what they know. It's just a shame that the effect of the film comes across as being more of an indirect ode to a group of people more viewers ought to know about, as opposed to an insightful and enlightening work of historical fiction brought to the screen.
Visually Beautiful
2008-01-30 - I enjoyed this movie. It is so visually beautiful. It is really a feast to my eyes. The Peazant family is at a cross roads. Some of the family members are leaving the island for good. They know they are leaving a big part of their heritage behind. They are the descendents of the Africans who were deposited there long years ago.
It is a beautiful story. I recommend it and Ms. Dash's book version.
Mesmerizing, Haunting Cinematic Tribute to Early 20th Century Gullah Culture
2007-02-06 - "Daughters of the Dust" is truly a cinematic feast for the eyes, and one that has to be savored slowly, metaphorically taking sips from it as if it was a bottle of some elegant vintage wine. Those expecting a fast-paced narrative drama will most surely be disappointed, since the film slowly takes us through the final days of a Gullah family's life on the Sea Islands of North Carolina and Georgia, shortly before most of the family treks north for a new, promised life bereft of time-honored Gullah traditions. Filmmaker - and screenwriter - Julie Dash has rendered a beguiling look at the Peazant's family past and present, as seen through the eyes of the matriarch Nana Peazant (Cora Lee Day in an extremely rich, intense performance, that's truly one of the best in an ensemble cast of fine performances.). There's ample attention paid to African folk wisdom and culture, demonstrating the rich cultural heritage of the Sea Islands' Gullah people, as the Peazant family ponders its future in one final family gathering. Cinematographer Arthur Jafa's camera has recorded this saga in visually sumptuous imagery that is sincerely respectful of Gullah traditions and affectionately pays homage to them. Dash's wonderful film must surely rank as one of the most intriguing cinematic debuts in American cinema, hopefully pointing the way to a new generation of Afro-American filmmakers and others interested in her unique, almost existentalist, means of cinematic storytelling (I might add too that I had the pleasure of hearing Ms. Dash discuss her film here in New York City a few days ago; it was a delightful, inspiring discussion which was both emotionally and intellectually quite rewarding. I might add too, that I had the pleasure of speaking with her afterwards, discovering that we are mutual admirers of the splendid fiction of Octavia Butler, whose unexpected passing last year has deprived both Afro-American literature and literary science fiction of one of their most thoughtful, eloquent voices.).
