Screening: Julie Dash, Daughters of the Dust

About the Event

A landmark work of black cinema, Daughters of the Dust is set in 1902 and centers on the Peazants, a multigenerational family descended from enslaved people living on St. Simons island off the Georgia coast. St. Simons is home to the Gullah people and in relative isolation its inhabitants have managed to preserve the traditions of their African cultural heritage. Dash builds a poetic, circular narrative that follows the Peazants as several members of the family prepare to leave the island for economic opportunities on the mainland.

Artist Arthur Jafa, whose work Love Is The Message, The Message Is Death is currently on view at the MCA, worked with Dash as cinematographer on the film. Jafa and veteran Chicago actor and playwright Cheryl Lynn Bruce will discuss their experiences making Daughters and its effect on Jafa's practice in a talk on Saturday, Sep 14.

MCA Screenings feature works of contemporary cinema that expand traditional notions of moviegoing and are organized by Assistant Curator Christy LeMaster with the Performance and Public Practice team.

RUNNING TIME: 1 hour, 53 minutes