First of all we were happy to have this film at our Festival of family and children's films Zero Plus (Russia)!
It's really an inspiring story especially for growing children who need to be encouraged to be themselves!
It's safe to say that self-identification as a subject is a cornerstone of every piece of art. Nearly all stories in the world tell us about a protagonist who's eager to know who he/ she really is. Some heroes begin their seeking with deeds, others - with failures, some even try to dissociate themselves from everything and see themselves in solitude. One way or the other, this journey of self-exploration requires certain moral efforts.
Short live-action film "Dolapo is fine" by Ethosheia Hylton speculates on topic of true and false, basing the story on the smallest semantic unit - a name. Our name acknowledges our being, we're named so we exist. Thus, it's painful to see the main character being discriminated against in this basic right.
Ethosheia Hylton looks at the problem of social adaptation through magnifying glass and shows us how something unique transforms into "convenient", ethnic into global.
Young African girl named Dolapo is invited to a job interview. But the interviewer thinks that her name is too ethnic and hardly pronounceable, her hair is too fluffy, - and they will make it difficult for Dolapo to be accepted at work. This is how Dolapo becomes "Dolly" with totally new "convenient" look..
On the way to her true self Dolly-Dolapo faces harshness, lack of understanding, insecurity, mocking.. Until one day she meets another girl, magically appeared from a bad joke about a wig. And this encounter will give her speech and power of being herself. Dolapo is fine indeed!
