What is "Good Hair"?

Chris Rock is taking it upon himself to explore the world of Black Hair. He has celebrity testimonials, real men in a barber shop talking about black woman's hair and all the in's and out's of the black hair industry. The documentary is funny but insightful. Here is the trailer.




I applaud him for doing this. As a black women with natural hair who has numerous conversations with friends with natural hair about "good hair" versus "n***a" hair I am glad that someone is confronting this issue on a national stage. Not only that, it is a BLACK man talking about this but not the stereotypical, fist pumping, "power-to-the people", "I'm-in-touch-with-my-African-roots" woman. LOL. I think had anyone else done this the presentation of this topic would not be funny but it would be overbearing and extremely serious and most people would not be interested. I am excited to see this!

Any opinions about the "good" hair vs. "n***a" hair topic?

Hello All

So, I guess I should introduce myself, and give you guys a little background.

I'm a film student and an aspiring writer/director. My background was in theatre, and I decided that I wanted to be a filmmaker my junior year of high school. My theatre teacher was a filmmaker, who taught theatre and was the MC at a local Improv Show--it was very funny. I loved everything about the theatre, but I wasn't going to school for it because I didn't think I could make a living doing anything but teaching. Making movies had never even occurred to me as a viable career choice until I talked to my teacher and my father about it. He assured me that there is always work for someone, who can run a camera. So, here I am, hoping for the best and putting my whole soul into everything I help create.

I want to make films that have a social meaning, despite what a certain professor in my studies keeps chanting a movie can be so much more than a movie. It's a form of art, and art is created to provoke thought and conversation. If I can make people think and share ideas then I'll be a success. At the end of the day, if we haven't give our viewers anything worth discussing have we really done our job as artists?

To round out this little piece I'll just leave you with some of my favorite films and the directors that I get my inspiration from. Any of these films are worthwhile for one reason or another so, if you're looking for something to watch have a look at some of these.

Films: The Godfather (1972,USA), The Godfather Part II (1974,USA), The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920,Germany/Silent), Paradise Now (2005, Palestine), Fahrenheit 451 (1966,USA), Citizen Kane (1944,USA), Howl's Moving Castle (2004,Japan), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007, USA), Kill Bill Vol. 1 (USA, 2003), Kill Bill Vol. 2 (USA, 2004), The Matrix (2001, USA), The Last Emperor (1987, USA), Chicago (2002, USA), Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979, USA), The Hours (USA, 2002)

Filmmakers: Quentin Tarantino (USA), Francois Truffaut (FRA), Francis Ford Coppola (USA), Hayao Miyazaki (JPN), Sydney Pollack (USA), Tim Burton (USA), Mike Nichols (USA)

Interesting Movies...

These are some movies that I want to see that I think would be good to watch. They are both really different. The first is a Korean movie called Treeless Mountain. I first heard about this movie while I was checking out NYMag.com and the critics were raving about how good a movie this is. The movie is about two sisters whose mother leaves them to find their estranged father. The film has been nominated for awards at the Berlin Interantional Film festival, Dubai International Film festival, Independent Spirit Awards, and the Pusan International Film festival. It won awards in all but tehe Independent Spirit Awards. Here's the trailer:



Another film I think people should check out is Waltz With Bashir. I had heard about this movie all over the internet and was considering watching it and then one of my film teachers reccommended it to me and I will definitely check this out. This is IMDB plot synopsis: "An Israeli film director interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memories of his term of service in that conflict." I think its so different because this is an animated biographical film. It has been extremely successful and has been nominated for 22 awards including an Oscar! Here's the trailer:



I hope you check these out and enjoy them! I will post my opinions on these two movies once I see them.

Later...

Hello World...

Film is like the blood coursing through my veins; it gives me life. I breathe film. I live film. I love film. With that being said, I am neither a film scholar nor a professional film reviewer. I am a film student with lots of opinions. This is quite simply my truth.

Well about me...
I am originally from the Caribbean island of Trinidad. I was always sorta weird and off in my own world. Like, I remember walking around my neighborhood and thinking that I was like in a world like the "Truman Show" and cameras were hiding in bushes and tress lol... I would make up elaborate story lines for games that me and my friends would play. I sorta figured out I wanted to be a filmmaker my senior year of high school. I did the tech work for a class play and I loved the behind the scenes action. I didn't really know what I wanted to do but I knew it would relate to theater, film, or the arts. I deiced on film because I realized that I spent most of my free time watching movies and thought "Yo, it would be cool to make films..." So...the more I learn about film and film making the more and more I love it. And the more I am exposed to different genres, directors, waves of film in our history, etc. the more I realize film isn't what it used to be.

When I see the films that have come out in the past couple years it seems that Hollywood has become really lazy. I mean for real, why is every movie a remake of a remake done 20 years ago. Like creativity is lacking. I am so bored with what is out now. I think I have been to the movies maybe three times in the past two years, no joke. Its like being innovative is not cool anymore. No one seems to be taking risks...at least not in the mainstream films of our time. I feel like I need to go to extra lengths to see a film worth watching. International and independent filmmakers seem to be the ones that are actually doing something worthwhile. Sometimes I feel like screaming: CAN THE REAL FILMMAKERS PLEASE STAND UP!!!

So, what do I think is the solution? I think half of these wanna be filmmakers should study film, all types of film, from the silent film, classical hollwood, the new wave, international film...etc. and let them be their guide. I'm tired of Joe Schmo with no talent making movies because they have money and looking for a new money making venture and not the love of the art. Also, audiences need to stop supporting crap! I swear if someone comes out with another date movie, scary movie, epic movie spoof type sh** I will jump off a bridge. (NOT REALLY...) But cmon why pay these people to make crap on film, don't you want something more than mindless, idiotic entertainment? Anyhow I am off my soapbox, I am not a filmmaker yet, right? Until I can make a change to the movement, maybe I can change people's minds about what film can be.

I think that's it, I don't have anymore to say...
Later.