Daughters of the Dust

It is the beginning of the 20th century and three generations of women from a Gullah (or Geechee) family—the descendants of escaped slaves on an island off the coast of South Carolina—are preparing to migrate to the mainland and north. The decision to move is the occasion for a gathering that marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new one, with rituals intended to connect past traditions with what is coming. Julie Dash’s captivating debut DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST draws on West African oral culture: "I wanted to tell the story like an African griot would. There would be many breaks – for a meal, for this or that. I wanted to structure the story the way he would tell it." (Julie Dash)