Directed by Julie Dash. USA. 1991. 113 min.
At the dawn of the 20th century, a multigenerational Gullah family—part of the community on the Sea Islands off the Southeastern United States—struggle to maintain its cultural heritage and folklore while contemplating heading north as part of the Great Migration. Gullah are descended from former slaves who adopted many of their West African ancestors' Yoruba traditions.
The first wide release by a black female filmmaker, Daughters of the Dust was met with wild critical acclaim and rapturous audience response when it initially opened in 1991. Casting a long legacy, Daughters of the Dust still resonates today, most recently as a major influence on Beyonce's video album Lemonade. Restored (in conjunction with UCLA) for the first time with proper color grading overseen by cinematographer AJ Jafa, audiences will finally see the film as Julie Dash intended.