Jan Ransom for Daily NewsRhamades Julian is working on a hybrid-documentary to untangle the experiences women have had with chemical relaxers, perms and other processes to change the look and texture of their locks.
A first-time Harlem filmmaker is calling on all women of color to go with the 'fro.
Rhamades Julian is working on a hybrid-documentary to untangle the experiences women have had with chemical relaxers, perms and other processes to change the look and texture of their locks.
'I want my film to make people think,' he said. 'What I'm saying is, Hey, take a leap of faith and go back to your natural state, and see what happens.'
Julian and his four-person team began working on the project in March. In the film, titled 'Follicle: People of color, identity and the barriers that lie in between,' he interviews women from South Africa and the U.S.
So far, Julian has raised $40,000, but he needs at least $350,000 to see the project through.
Julian blames commercialism, big-name celebrities who shy away from natural coifs and pro-straight-hair images in mainstream media for the reason why some women opt to trade in their natural tresses for a less kinky, not-so puffy mane.
Hair and identity, Julian says, are intertwined, and he plans to combine fiction and nonfiction techniques to make his points, in slightly more serious fashion than comedian Chris Rock did in 'Good Hair,' his 2009 take on the subject.
'I believe the first thing we have to do collectively to get to a better place is to accept the way we look first,' said Julian 31, an Afro-Latino former Texan who was born in Puerto Rico and now calls Harlem home. 'It's the first thing we have to do, and that starts with hair.'
Julian believes his own big, curly mane helped him land a five-year stint as a model with the Kim Dawson agency, in his early 20s.
Over the years, Julian has spoken with female friends who called themselves 'naturalistas.'
In many cases, he says, they believed they were treated differently - either at work or among their peers - after they made the switch.
One Harlem stylist said he wasn't surprised.
'People are judged by their hair all of the time,' said Jeff Flowers, who cuts hair in Harlem Berry Beauty Lounge on 125th St.
'You gotta have the guts to do what you believe in.'
Black hair became a prominent topic during the summer when Dante de Blasio, the son of Democratic mayoral hopeful Bill de Blasio, endorsed his father's bid in a series of campaign ads.
The 16-year-old with the massive, perfectly puffed 'fro that he's been rocking since he was a little kid, became the talk of the town.
Julian lauded the young de Blasio's fro.
'There's power in being able to see yourself in someone else.'
To learn more about Julian's film or donate, visit http://www.folliclefilm.com.
jransom@nydailynews.com
0 Comment "Film about black hair? It's a natural!"
Posting Komentar