Julie Dash- Daughters of the Dust

I cannot help but think about Toni Morrison and “the other” while I watch this film, specifically her novel "Beloved"At the beginning a character is created and we do not get to see her face; she is the other existing outside of the margins with the freedom to see other people and private conversations. At the same time it creates a mystical and spiritual affect. She almost seems to be there t validate an existence and the need for change in their small culture. The language and stories told by the characters also make it have this spiritual affect. We realy are given access to a private world but its very hard to understand it because I don’t feel like I have a great access point. It feels as if I have just happened upon this culture. I feel like an outsider in their world—as they do in mine. Dash does this through the use of cuts in her scenes, conversations that enter midway through. Also through her portrayal of individuals, we are trespassers on their thoughts.