Rating: 4.5/5
In 1902, on the Gullah islands off the coast of Georgia, a Creole blend of West African traditions was kept alive by generations of enslaved people who followed those who practiced them. They speak a variation of Creole English developed on the island, called Gullah Creole. The film explores the Peazant family as some of their relatives return from the mainland to bring them a new life up north.
The film has a poetic feel reminiscent of Terrence Malick’s work, with narration and stories interwoven through picturesque images and family dialogues. The story is loose, focusing on the characters over a day while incorporating aspects from the past and the future. Central to the narrative is Eli and Eula’s unborn child, who narrates about her coming and all of the memories she carries with her from her ancestors.
Julie Dash’s experience is still common for women filmmakers. She barely got the funding to make this movie. It was “too different” for Hollywood, so she never got the opportunity to make another full-length film. So, she went to television, where so many indie women filmmakers end up these days.
I wasn’t expecting such a difficult watch going in, but I found it hard to follow the dense dialects at times. Additionally, several scenes passed that I wasn’t sure were from a different time period. At first, I was wary of experiencing a two-hour, free-form film in a dark theater, but by the time I reached the end, it had enraptured me. I didn’t understand everything, but it wasn’t my film to understand. I did get to bear witness to one of the most creative and unabashedly Black films I’ve seen.
Also, the score rules.