It’s time to celebrate! We’re seriously excited about this year’s Oscar winner, ‘Hair Love,’ for short-film, a story all too many of us could deeply relate to and draw from.
Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver recently received their first Oscar award for their killer 7 minute animation film about a father trying to style his daughter’s natural hair for the first time. The story is truly beautiful and uplifting, both the narrative and the award.
What’s the plot of the film?
The film centers around the real-life encounter a father may have when approaching the subject of his daughter’s natural hair, especially when mommy’s not around. The daughter in the film, Zuri, tries to style her natural hair into her dream hairstyle she found online, but just can’t seem to make it work. That’s when her father steps into the rink, quite literally. At first, he’s overwhelmed with all of the hair tools, hair products, and frankly, his own daughter’s hair! At one point he seems just about ready to give up until the two find hope in each other. Zuri and her father eventually nail that hairstyle, learning the ins and outs of natural hair. The animation is deeply significant for many reasons, both for the natural hair community and the representation of afro-hair in the media thus far.
How far and wide can the messages from this short-film reach?
Some of the messages in the film are how to embrace and love your natural hair, the unique dynamic between a father and his daughter, and the daughter’s desire to bring joy to her mother through her hair. The widespread attention this award-winning film received opens up more conversations around natural hair, and what has been, or is, deemed as professional, or acceptable hair-styles in schools and the workplace. While we are far from a balanced scale of diversity in Hollywood, and the arts in general, there are moments to celebrate and use these achievements as stepping stones towards a future, where there will finally be a plethora of diversified voices being heard and listened to.
Takeaway
Let’s use this as an opportunity to get inspired and show pride in our natural hair. Did you know DeAndre Arnolds and his family were invited to the Oscars? Imagine what standing up for your beliefs and your natural beauty could do for you and others around you?
