THE ARTS

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African American Women Pioneers in Fiim

In a 1946 issue, the NAACP magazine, the Crisis, noted "There are very few [African American men] working on fhe fechnical and produc-fion side of film-making. There have been one or two. . . writers, a few musicians, and a handful of dance directors." The sifuafion was even more limifing for African American women. Some had made fheir mark on fhe ofher side of fhe camera. Performers such as Haffie McDaniel, Dorofhy Dandridge, and Louise Beavers showcased fheir falenfs in many films—almosf always, however, playing servanf roles.

In fhe 1980s and 1990s, African American women began to make fheir mark in film directing, wrifing, and in ofher areas of movie production. One of fhe mosf influential remains Kafhleen Collins. Her work as a teacher, director, playwrighf, and screenwrifer inspired a generation of African American women filmmakers. In such films as The Cruz Brothers and Mrs. Malloy (1980) and Losing Ground (1982), Collins worked on the belief that "if I can be very faithful to [my own view] and manage to find a way to say it, it will mean something to other people."

Documentary filmmaker Michelle Parkerson has won acclaim for a number of compelling profiles of artists and performers.

Her first film, But Then, She's Betty Carter (1980), offers the story of the noted jazz stylist. Gotta Make This Journey (1983) tells the story of a female a cappella singing group. A Litany of Survival (1993) chronicles the story of one of Park-erson's heroes, poet and essayist Audre Lord.

Writer, producer, and director Julie Dash garnered acclaim and honors for Daughters of the Dust (1992). This poignant film, set in the Georgia Sea Islands, tells the story of the women of a family at the turn of the century. For Dash, the film's essence is "the fear of going away from home and not being able to come back, the fear of abandoning one's culture."

Ruth Carter has made a significant contribution in costume design. Her responsibilities include both designing and making costumes. In works such as School Daze and What's Love Got to Do With It she has taken on the challenging assignments of re-creating the clothes and styles of the 1950s and 1960s. She was nominated for a 1992 Academy Award for Best Costume Design for her work on Malcolm X.