Daughters of the Dust

Directed by Julie Dash, 1991
NR; 114 minutes
Pay-what-you-can, tickets available online here

In 1902, a multigenerational family in the Gullah community in the Sea Islands off coastal South Carolina—former West African slaves who adopted many of their ancestors' Yoruba traditions—suffers a generational split. Young Haagar (Kaycee Moore) wants to move to the mainland and away from tradition-bound matriarch Nana (Cora Lee Day). Former prostitute Yellow Mary (Barbara O) gets a cold shoulder when she returns to the island with her female lover, Trula (Trula Hoosier), especially from her sister Viola (Cheryl Lynn Bruce). Written, directed, and produced by Julie Dash, in 1991 Daughters of the Dust became the first feature film directed by an African-American woman to receive a US theatrical release.

The Fort Worth Film Club (FWFC) partnered in 2022 with the Reel House Foundation after the closing of Fort Worth’s lone art house theater, the Grand Berry Theater. Continuing what the Grand Berry started, FWFC's goal is to build a community in Fort Worth around a shared love of film. The Club hosts free monthly screenings, focusing on films with cultural and local importance. Screenings are open to the public and are followed by a moderated discussion.