Daughters of the Dust
Brief Synopsis
Three generations of Gullah women reunite in 1902 before the family emigrates to the North.
Cast & Crew
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Julie Dash
Director
Cora Lee Day
Nana Peazant
Alva Rogers
Eula Peazant
Barbara O
Yellow Mary
Adisa Anderson
Eli Peazant
Cheryl Lynn Bruce
Viola
Film Details
MPAA Rating
Genre
Drama
Experimental
Historical
Period
Release Date
1991
Production Company
American Playhouse; Duart Film And Video; J G Films Inc; Sound Trax Studios
Distribution Company
KINO INTERNATIONAL/THE COHEN MEDIA GROUP (CMG); American Playhouse; British Film Institute; Kino International; Kino Video; The Cohen Media Group
Location
Beaufort, South Carolina, USA; Georgia, USA
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 53m
Synopsis
Dawtuh is a small barrier island among hundreds along the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. In the early 1900s, families of African Americans have remained isolated from the mainland on the island as they have since the first African captive was brought ashore. The Peazant family is celebrating their decision to leave and embark on a new life on the mainland. But the family patriarch Nana Peazant refuses to leave because of her deep reverence for the island, the ancestors buried there and a sense that the North will not be "the land of milk and honey" that her progeny believe it will be.
Director
Julie Dash
Director
Cast
Cora Lee Day
Nana Peazant
Alva Rogers
Eula Peazant
Barbara O
Yellow Mary
Adisa Anderson
Eli Peazant
Cheryl Lynn Bruce
Viola
Geraldine Dunston
Viola'S Mother
Vertamae Grovensor
Hairbraider
Tommy Hicks
Mr Snead
Kaycee Moore
Haagar
Eartha Robinson
Myown
Cornell Royal
Daddy Mac
Catherine Tarver
Woman With Baby
Bahni Turpin
Iona Peazant
Kai-lynn Warren
The Unborn Child
Trula Hoosier
Trula
Umar Ubdurrahman
Bilal
Malik Farrakhan
Newlywed Man
Sherry Jackson
Older Cousin
Ervin Green
Baptist Minister
Marcus Humphrey
Boatman
Bernard Wilson
Boatman
Althea Lang
Newlywed Woman
Jasmine Lee
Peazant Baby
Dalisia Robinson
Peazant Baby
Willie Faulkner
Peazant Man
Joe Taylor
Peazant Man
Frank Brown
Peazant Man
Rueben Fripp
Peazant Man
Derrick Coaxum
Peazant Boy
Jared Warren
Peazant Child
Zenovia Green
Peazant Child
Taira Miller
Peazant Child
Tiffanye Hills
Peazant Child
Jamer Freeman
Pete
Detrell Freeman
Re-Pete
Vivian Dawson
Rice Husker
Inez Griffin
Rice Husker
M Cochise Anderson
St Julen Lastchild
Darrel Cook
Moss Gatherer
Julius Cook
Moss Gatherer
Benjamin Gillens
Minister'S Assistant
Ronald Daise
Processional Man
Marie Smalls
Woman Being Baptizied
Lonnie Moon
Baptismal Processional Member
Dewitt Parker
Baptismal Processional Member
Emma Robinson
Baptismal Processional Member
Taylor Thompson
Baptismal Processional Member
Virginia Green
Baptismal Processional Member
Maceo Griffin
Baptismal Processional Member
Archie Thomas
Baptismal Processional Member
Ervena Falkner
Baptismal Processional Member
J R Wilson
Baptismal Processional Member
Wilhemina Wilson
Baptismal Processional Member
Tarell Brown
(Indigo Plantation)
Shanna Parker
(Indigo Plantation)
Belle White
(Indigo Plantation)
Stanley White
(Indigo Plantation)
Maxine Royale
(Indigo Plantation)
Georgia Wiggins
(Indigo Plantation)
Carolyn Garris
(Indigo Plantation)
Ella Powell
(Indigo Plantation)
Bernice Jenkins
(Indigo Plantation)
Lilian Johnson
(Indigo Plantation)
Jackie Parker
(Indigo Plantation)
Sharria Johnson
Young Nana Peazant
Leroy Simmons
Shad Peazant; Young Daddy Mac
Afemo Omilami
Holiday Marble
Sparkle Duncan
Teddy Gross
Guadalupe Jones
Rudy Costa
Augusta Stone
Charles Burnett
Bill Summers
Performer
Manoocheher Sadeghi
Performer
Ashhd Kahn
Performer
Crew
Umar Abdurrahman
Construction Foreman
John E. Allen
Titles & Opticals
John E. Allen
Laboratory
Francis Awe
African Percussions & Vocals
Beverly Ballzigler
Other
C C Barnes
1st Assistant Director
John Barnes
Original Music Score
Doug Blush
Sound Effects Editor
Yvette Bostic
Vocalist
Nandi Bowe
1st Assistant Director
Christopher Brown
Art Assistant
Arline Burks
Costume Designer
Charles Burnett
Other
Thomas Burns
Assistant Camera Operator
Tommy Burns
2nd Assistant Camera
Joseph Burton
Editor
Micki Butler
Vocalist
Ricardo Butler
Set Dresser
Kris Campbell
Adr Editor
Veda Campbell
Sound Recordist
Amy Carey
Post-Production Supervisor
Amy Carey
Editor
Calvin Chaplan
Driver
Rose Chatterton
Makeup Supervisor
Rossie Colter
Office Assistant
Sandra Cook
Other
Rudy Costa
Other
Brian Culbertson
Art Department Production Assistant
Brian Culbertson
Driver
Ronald Daise
Gullah Language Consultant
Wanda Daise
Office Assistant
Julie Dash
Screenwriter
Julie Dash
Producer
Sergeant Whites's Diner
Catering
Maggie Duggan
Location Production Assistant
Sparkle Duncan
Other
Geraldine Dunston
Other
Pamela Ferrell
Hair Stylist
Jimmie Fielder
Camera Production Assistant
Frank M Fleming
Props Assistant
Allen Fovary
Vocalist
Ray Greene
Sound Effects Editor
Teddy Gross
Other
Nanette Guidebeck
Assistant Production Coordinator
Kevin Hamm
Key Grip
Mshinde Harris
Carpenter
Menge Hernandez
African Percussions & Vocals
Jeremy Hoenack
Recording Mixer
Melissa Sherwood Hoffman
Recording Mixer
Robert Horan
Office Assistant
Brian Lee Horle
Production Assistant/Grip
William Hudson
1st Assistant Camera
Len Hunt
Casting
Pam R Jackson
Associate Producer
Pamm Jackson
Associate Producer
Arthur Jafa
Camera Operator
Arthur Jafa
Producer
Arthur Jafa
Director Of Photography
Lorna Johnson
Location Production Assistant
Guadalupe Jones
Other
Steven Jones
Line Producer
N'jai Kai
Camera Operator
Peter Knowlton
Props Master
Ingeborg Larson
Dialogue Editor
Lindsay Law
Executive Producer
Robert Manahan
Recording Mixer
Holiday Marble
Other
Kerry Marshall
Production Designer
Albert Meggett
Carpenter
Larry Meistrich
2nd Assistant Director
Robin Melhuish
1st Additional Assistant Camera
J T Miller
Driver
Taira Miller
Adr Voice
Eric Mofford
Location Manager
Hanif Noor Mohammed
Vocalist
Russell Mondy
Location Production Assistant
Tracy Morris
Location Production Assistant
Gloria Naylor
Location Production Assistant
J Bernard Nicholas
Associate Producer
Ajani Ofunniyin
Carpenter
Afemo Omilami
Adr Voice
Jesus Pedro Orta
African Percussions & Vocals
Ernest Parks
Other
Rosa Parrilla
Vocalist
Michael Payne
Supervising Sound Editor
Melissa Peabody
Dialogue Editor
Connie Polk
Driver
Gloria Polke
Seamstress
Sharon Pryor
Camera Production Assistant
Susan L Rahn
Other
Phyliss Raynor
Office Assistant
Michael Scott Reid
Office Assistant
Dianne Richburg
Vocalist
Kathleen Richter
Production Controller
Jack Rouben
Music Mixer & Engineer
Alex Sakharov
Grip
Andrew Scheps
Assistant Engineer
Jeff Schiro
Sound Effects Editor
Bryan A Seabrook
Assistant Makeup
Sarah Shields
Driver
Sarah Shields
Location Production Assistant
Chris Sibert
Boom Operator
Larry Sims
Production Assistant/Grip
Valentina Soares
Vocalist
Willard Stephens
Special Effects
Sabrina Stephenson
Sound Effects Editor
Bill Summers
African Percussions & Vocals
R E Henry Sunshine
Camera Truck Driver/Grip
Blanche Sypher
Craft Services
Tiffany Taylor
Set Costumer
J Miller Tobin
2nd Assistant Director
Valarie Van Norte
Grip
Alex Vlacos
Gaffer
Keith Ward
Dailies Editor
Floyd Webb
Associate Producer
Diogenette Williams
Art Department Production Assistant
Michael Kelly Williams
Art Director
Wilhamine Wilson
Wardrobe Assistant
Kenneth Wright
Transportation Captain
Teresa M. Yarbrough
Production Coordinator
Joseph Zappala
Sound Effects Editor
Videos
Movie Clip
Hosted Intro
Film Details
MPAA Rating
Genre
Drama
Experimental
Historical
Period
Release Date
1991
Production Company
American Playhouse; Duart Film And Video; J G Films Inc; Sound Trax Studios
Distribution Company
KINO INTERNATIONAL/THE COHEN MEDIA GROUP (CMG); American Playhouse; British Film Institute; Kino International; Kino Video; The Cohen Media Group
Location
Beaufort, South Carolina, USA; Georgia, USA
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 53m
Articles
Daughters of the Dust
Three generations of Gullah women reunite in 1902 before the family emigrates to the North.
Daughters of the Dust
Three generations of Gullah women reunite in 1902 before the family emigrates to the North.
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States Winter January 15, 1992
Re-released in United States November 18, 2016
Shown at Brooklyn Museum in New York City as part of program "The L.A. Rebellion" January 15 - February 6, 1994.
Shown at Filmfest Munich (Independent Program) June 1991.
Shown at Toronto Festival of Festivals (First Cinema) September 5-14, 1991.
Feature directorial debut for acclaimed filmmaker Julie Dash. This marks the first feature by an African American woman to receive commercial theatrical release in the US.
Received the Award for Excellence in Cinematography at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival.
Broadcast over PBS on "American Playhouse" July 22, 1992.
Began shooting October 17, 1989.
Completed shooting November 19, 1989.
Released in United States 1994 (Shown at Brooklyn Museum in New York City as part of program "The L.A. Rebellion" January 15 - February 6, 1994.)
Released in United States 1999 (Shown in New York City (BAM Rose Cinema) as part of program "The Feminine Eye: Twenty Years of Women's Cinema" January 28 - February 7, 1999.)
Released in United States January 2000 (Shown in New York City (Anthology Film Archives) as part of program "Kino International Retrospective" January 6-27, 2000.)
Released in United States Winter January 15, 1992
Selected in 2004 for inclusion in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry.
Released in United States 1994
Released in United States 1999
Released in United States 2012
Released in United States January 2000
Released in United States January 24, 1991
Released in United States June 1991
Released in United States on Video September 25, 1992
Released in United States September 1991
Released in United States 2012 (Collection)
Released in United States January 24, 1991 (Shown at Sundance Film Festival Park City, Utah January 24, 1991.)
Released in United States June 1991 (Shown at Filmfest Munich (Independent Program) June 1991.)
Released in United States September 1991 (Shown at Toronto Festival of Festivals (First Cinema) September 5-14, 1991.)
Released in United States on Video September 25, 1992
Re-released in United States November 18, 2016
"The Feminine Eye" program celebrates New York Women in Film and Televsion's 20th anniversary.
