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Chicago – Iconic and historical are the two apt terms for a film directed by an African American woman, the first to be distributed theatrically, Was it the 1920s? 1940s? It had to be the 1970s. No, it was 1992 when that barrier was broken, with the film “Daughters in the Dust,” directed by Julie Dash.

“Daughters of the Dust” is a lyrical cinematic poem about transition and pride. In the early 20th Century, the children of slaves were making their first movements from the South during “The Great Migration” – when African Americans sought more independence in the industrial North. “Daughters” highlights the residents of St. Simons Island in Georgia, a settlement for a freed family named Peazant – who practiced Creole “Gullah” ancestry, which observed African tribal traditions during their time in America. The older and more established residents are wary of the traveling ways of the new generation, and the presence...

The early 1990’s was a landmark time in the world of American cinema, particularly the independent scene. With names like Tarantino, Linklater and various others finding a foothold with groundbreaking film achievements at the early part of the decade, the first years of the ‘90s would go on to launch the careers of some of today’s most beloved and critically lauded auteurs. However, some of the greatest films from this time period came from visions that were not only completely singular, but also filmmakers who would rarely get another crack at the type of filmmaking that launched their careers.

One of those filmmakers was Julie Dash. Now working primarily in the world of TV and short filmmaking (although she does have a new documentary entitled Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl in some stage of production), Dash launched onto the scene with a film entitled Daughters of the Dust.

For a 25-year-old period drama about a multigenerational African-American family concerned with preserving its past while heading into an unknown future, Daughters of the Dust couldn’t be timelier — and the 1991 movie may finally be having its moment. Chronicling the Peazants, who in 1902 are departing their beloved Dawtuh Island off the East Coast to venture to the U.S. mainland, this poetic, poignant indie has long been overlooked — a movie more rhapsodized about than actually seen. That changes when Daughters returns to theaters on Novemember 18th in a gorgeous restoration,...

Last week, Oprah Winfrey missed out on a second potential Oscar nomination, and with it, the chance of becoming the oldest African American actress ever to win an Academy Award (the current oldest was also the first - Hatty McDaniel at the tender age of 44). No black women over 50 have ever been nominated for Best Actress, and only two have been honored in the supporting category. Given that Ruby Dee’s 2007 nomination was for a 6-minute role in “American Gangster”, and the only other previous nominee is Ethel Waters in 1949, it’s fair to say that it is not a demographic that has much history of registering with Oscar voters. Not that the Oscars are the be-all and end-all, but they are certainly a useful gauge for the quality of substantial mainstream film roles available to American actresses. Cast the net wider, and a similarly bleak picture emerges. Cora Lee Day...