Illusions
This critically acclaimed drama from filmmaker Julie Dash (DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST) takes place in 1942 at a fictitious Hollywood motion picture studio. Mignon Dupree, a Black woman studio executive who appears to be white, and Ester Jeeter, an African American woman who is the singing voice for a white Hollywood star, are forced to come to grips with a society that perpetuates false images as status quo.
The film follows Mignon's dilemma, Ester's struggle, and the use of cinema in wartime Hollywood: three illusions in conflict with reality.
"Mckee's strong performance and growing awareness throughout the film makes it both dramatically satisfying and also richly nuanced with issues of cultural appropriation and cooptation of black music and culture for commercial gain... The film's relevance to some of today's mainstream film and music industries and the dismissal and appropriation of black stories is also telling." - IndieWire
Running Time
37 mins
Year
1983
Kanopy ID
3288461
Filmmakers
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Comments (2)
The film finds a vein of relevance that runs from 1983 to today’s viewers of 2018—the co-opting of black voices to feed white success, the struggle of racial passing and privilege, the inherent politics of cinematic power, especially in the grand sphere of Hollywood’s influence during times ...Read more
The film finds a vein of relevance that runs from 1983 to today’s viewers of 2018—the co-opting of black voices to feed white success, the struggle of racial passing and privilege, the inherent politics of cinematic power, especially in the grand sphere of Hollywood’s influence during times of national and global turmoil. Acclaimed director Julie Dash approaches all of these themes deftly while capturing a short that still feels remarkably simple and intimate, a reflection of the impact of these issues in the shielded complexity of everyday Hollywood. Illusions is a true and essential mix of race and cultural studies, which understands its characters as women of diverging but parallel experiences and outlooks, able to relate to each other more on the basis of shared identity (albeit outsiders are ignorant to its existence) more than anyone else in their world of faux human condition.
Read lessWonderful, wonderful analysis! You spoke on a lot of the themes and tones I picked up on especially in it's relevance in today's American society. I believe Dash's work needs to be included in more race, women, and film studies curriculum. She spoke to a lot in this short run time without ...Read more
Wonderful, wonderful analysis! You spoke on a lot of the themes and tones I picked up on especially in it's relevance in today's American society. I believe Dash's work needs to be included in more race, women, and film studies curriculum. She spoke to a lot in this short run time without overloading or complicating the story! I wish the industry would support her for the gem that she is, I can only imagine what film would look like if she had the same resources some other directors.
Read less