Daughters of the Dust

St. Helena 1902. The story of an extended African-American family is told fragmentarily from the perspective of an unborn child. Before much of the community leaves the remote island, they all come together for a celebration on the beach. The women - from girls to old women - carry the film. The camera captures their faces and movements, their memories and thoughts in broad panorama.
DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST is the first film by an African-American woman director to have a national release in the USA. "A film of spellbinding visual beauty," said the New York Times, and Julie Dash was a captivatingly original filmmaker. Despite good reviews, DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST remained an insider's tip until its digital release 25 years later. This milestone of African-American film and feminism is finally being recognised as a "sensual masterpiece" of international independent cinema (Melissa Anderson). Through stars like singer Beyoncé, DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST has long since arrived in the pop culture of all colours.