The Halifax Black Film Festival is set to begin Friday with a packed schedule throughout the weekend.
One must-see documentary “My Type of Hair” is part of the “Being Black in Halifax” series and is inspired by filmmaker Juliet Mawusi’s personal story.
Mawusi moved to Nova Scotia six years ago to study journalism.
“Filmmaking wasn’t part of the plan though,” she tells CTV Atlantic.
Her final school project was a documentary.
“It was about being Black in the N.S. music industry,” Mawusi said. “I interviewed Reeny Smith and her family.”
By the time her documentary was released, Mawusi had caught the filmmaking bug.
“My Type of Hair” is a short film telling the origins of Black beauty.
“How it has always been a struggle for Black women to keep their natural hair, from slavery to now,” she said.
When Mawusi came to the Maritimes from Ghana, she was shocked at how hard it was to find a stylist.
“I entered four salons here and each of them told me they don’t do my type of hair,” she said. “It was so, so difficult. I had to go to YouTube to learn how to do my hair.”
Now, Mawusi says she’s seen some positive changes.
“It was just recently that I heard that the cosmetology school is now providing courses for students who want to learn about Black hair,” she said.
But her film aims to push the conversation further.
“It’s about the real struggles behind it. Why can’t they find the real story? Why is it a struggle to find it?”
“My Type of Hair” plays at Cineplex Park Lane on Saturday night as part of the Halifax Black Film Festival.
It’s also available to stream through the festival’s website.
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