Daughters of the Dust

This was a beautiful movie, and I really enjoyed watching it. One of the things that I thought the director did really well was create a portrait of individuals as members of a community. This seems to be what the photographer is also trying to do throughout the movie. Dash creates the impression of community both through shots that show large groups of people and by juxtaposing closer shots of different people interacting with each other at the same time. For instance, she often uses shots of a group of people playing or dancing to break up other conversations or interactions. I also liked the idea of the unborn child running through the community that is about to be separated, and the link she and the great-grandmother provide between the community’s history and future.