Julie Dash

Film: Daughters of the Dust (1993)

Julie Dash’s ground-breaking work follows a multi-generational family in the Gullah community on the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina.

As former West African slaves who adopted many of their ancestors’ Yoruba traditions, Daughters of the Dust portrays the struggle to maintain their cultural heritage and folklore.

The first wide release by a black female filmmaker, the film was met with wild critical acclaim and still resonates today – most recently as a major influence on Beyoncé’s video album Lemonade.

Restored (in conjunction with UCLA) for the first...