Daughters of the Dust

Image from:http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/cultural/1998_99/daughters.jpg

It took me a while to watch this movie. I found it difficult to watch and understand in only one night. I had to watch Daughters of The Dust in pieces throughout a few days. It was also not until I viewed the director’s commentary that I could fully understand the significance of this film and appreciate the director’s intentions for the movie.

I appreciated much about this film. I appreciated the sense of African American womanhood which was translated into family values and also a sense of independence within the characters. I also appreciated the acting from most of the actors in the movie. Although I could not always understand what was being said, I could always feel the emotion or the intensity or frivolity of a particular scene.

Although containing an obscure and often confusing plot line which did not really follow one clear path, I thought that many ideas were clearly expressed through this film. Family values were expressed as well as acceptance of the new, valuing of the old and familiar, a sense of independence, and freedom as a particular race and as an individual being. These ideas and values are really what made this movie interesting to me and I appreciate Daughters of the Dust for clearly and creatively expressing the ideas, emotions and values of African American women at the turn of the 20^th century.