To some, it was a very ridiculous story. A woman wears a weave and it transforms her in ways she could’ve never predicted. But, it all came from the thought that when women wear human hair weaves, they are wearing the hair of other real humans who either sacrificed their hair because of political or religious reasons or simply sold it for profit.
The human hair bundles are supposed to be thoroughly washed and purified before they are offered in the beauty supply stores or to the public. Yet, one can’t help but wonder whether that hair carries in it the aura of the person who grew it. So, if the person was sad, will the person buying the bundles also carry that spirit of sadness when they wear the hair? If the person was happy, will it bring joy to the new owner of the follicles? The concept brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “blondes have more fun,” doesn’t it?
Well, someone ran with the idea and took it to Sundance securing an acquisition deal to the tune of $8 million, and that person is former Paramount Pictures employee turned Dear White People creator Justin Simien.
Written and directed by Simien, the film titled Bad Hair is about a woman named Anna Bludso who opts to get a hair weave from a mysterious hairstylist, but soon realizes that the hair is more than what it appears to be.
Elle Lorraine stars as the lead, with Vanessa Williams playing the role of boss Zora and Laverne Cox playing the hairstylist. Also starring in the Sight Unseen produced film is fan favorite Lena Waithe, Kelly Rowland, Usher Raymond, Jay Pharoah and Blair Underwood. The original Hulu film is produced by Simien, Angel Lopez, Eddie Vaisman, and Julia Lebedev, with Oren Moverman, Leonid Lebedev, and Alex G. Scott serving as executive producers.
Watch The Teaser Below:
Simien made an interesting point during the Sundance premiere of the film where he addressed black women being robbed of their opportunities to shine for their genius in everything from idea curation to culture.
“I hope I use this genre that I am absolutely in love to interrogate the system that is obsessed with black culture but doesn’t give a f— about black lives.” Simien said. “I hope I can use this genre to interrogate a system that mines black women for their culture, ideas, compassion, wisdom and perseverance but does not give them enough options to shine in this light.”
That’s a very agreeable concept that Hollywood and media can take away and implement. Invite the originators of these creative ideas to the table. Not only will they make you richer in the end, but you’ll get the idea right.
Too many times have the stories of black women been told by men (inaccurately by the way), as if they could truly understand the nuances of black femininity and all the challenges that it encompasses without the authentication of a woman with that experience.
At the end of the day, it’s just entertainment. But, that doesn’t mean it can’t be used as a tool to create a community of legacies built on intellectual property. Being at the top is great, but having an unselfish drive to uplift others in your rise to the top by sharing a piece of the pie is only for the courageous. Simien appears to be just that.
Bad Hair is set for an October 23rd release, just in time for Halloween.
