Maybe I’m the only one, but I thought Chris Rock’s documentary “Good Hair” was a major letdown. Instead of truly exploring the history and complex relationship that black people, and especially women, have with their hair, it came off mainly as a defense of straightened hair – notwithstanding that one bit about the destructive damage that hair straightening products can do to an ordinary tin can.
In fact, I believe there was only one woman in the entire film with natural hair, and she was relegated to the background in one scene, and barely said anything at all.
Maybe that’s why this new documentary in the works – “Natural Hair: The Movie” – looks so promising.
Directed by Reginald Titus and produced by Grind Over Matter Films, the filmmakers hope the film will “start a more engaged dialogue where Chris Rock left off with ‘Good Hair’,” and that it will offer “more solutions than questions.” It will also include commentary from women and men of all backgrounds who will share their opinions on what this “Natural Hair movement” has done and meant to and for them.
The filmmakers believe that this project will “empower young and old, male and female to examine the role of black hair in our culture, self esteem, and identity… our hair/crown plays a huge role in who we are as a people. This country has a long history of not letting us acknowledge and be proud of our natural hair”.
A Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign has been launched to raise $10,000 that will go towards covering post-production, marketing and distribution costs.
To find out more you can go to the film website here, and the contribute go to the Kickstarter fundraiser here.
Watch the project’s pitch video.