MovieChat Forums > Dark Girls (2011) Discussion > Great attempt

Great attempt

posted 12 years ago by antiguanlove
9 replies | jump to latest

Great attempt at exploring and exposing issues that members of the Black diaspora are forced to familiarize themselves with from any early age. While there was nothing "new" in the way of information, I think discussing the way in which light/dark is still used as a way of "separation" should always be welcomed.
I was fortunate to see this at the Antigua Film Festival where the Director was on hand to answer questions. I hope he continues doing this kind of work as he seems to have a knack for it. This is what Chris Rock's "Good Hair" should have been IMO.

[–] cgm2812 11 years ago

I would never pay hard-earned $$ to watch this crap.

[–] salsera0127 11 years ago

It's only crap to those who refuse to believe that there is an issue and who don't want to raise awareness of this issue. We have young children who hate themselves because other people make them feel less than human because they have darker skin than others of the same race. Open your eyes and your mind and try to imagine yourself in their position.

[–] luvtzone 10 years ago

We have young children who hate themselves because other people make them feel less than human because they have darker skin than others of the same race.

Yes! It starts with the children & their environment. How are they being raised? Are they being told how beautiful they are by their parents? What is being drummed into their heads as they grow? It was so pitiful watching the little girl at the being talk about not liking being called "black". She was such a pretty little girl, too.

This documentary covered a very real issue in the black community as well as touching briefly on other cultures. Hopefully, there will be a follow up film like the other poster suggested. I'd like to see the male version and yes, colorism is global and very much alive in other races and cultures.

Here's the thing - when we are long gone from this world eons from now, people will most likely have evolved into one color due to all the race mixing. Dont'cha think?

"You unlock this door with the key of imagination..."

[–] yg-7 11 years ago

I'm glad they had a few glimpses of other race groups who deal with this. I wish they'd let the Indian girl (from India) speak. They experience the same thing.

[–] xfastfurious15 11 years ago

yea i'm happy they had other races speak to because we r not the only ones! Someone from India should've been on there.
I also wish they'd ask girls what they think about dark skinned guys.

"If we can only catch him, Death is dead!" -Cantebury Tales

[–] madameduran 10 years ago

I attended the documentary's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and one of the questions from the audience was whether there would be a "sequel" ("Dark Boys"?), covering the same issue from the MALE perspective. The producers were definitely interested in that prospect. We'll have to wait and see if they eventually follow through. Promoting "Dark Girls" was consuming the bulk of their time (and still is, I gather).

[–] Satchmos_Chillun 7 years ago

I attended the documentary's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and one of the questions from the audience was whether there would be a "sequel" ("Dark Boys"?), covering the same issue from the MALE perspective. The producers were definitely interested in that prospect. We'll have to wait and see if they eventually follow through. Promoting "Dark Girls" was consuming the bulk of their time (and still is, I gather).

Bill Duke strikes me as something of a rather "manly" guy, so to speak, and I have a hard time seeing him responding to such a topic with anything but to "man up."

Duke went on to direct a documentary, Light Girls (2015), which is about issues faced by light-skinned and lighter-skinned black women in society, I think.

[–] gypsyeyez 11 years ago

I agree with you, I was surprised by the fact that in India the darker indian people are looked down upon because of their skin color. Their experience is very similar to ours.

[–] DisturbedPixie 10 years ago

It's Asian and Latino cultures too. If you go to an Asian country or a Latino country you will see women with parasols to keep their skin from darkening. It's all over, and even European women want to change their skin color. No one is ever happy with what they got. Everyone wants to be different, hoping it will be better.

Though of course some cultures have it worse than others. It's a common Eritrean question to ask a mother if her child was born "fair."