Hairpiece: A Film for Nappy Headed People
‘Hairpiece’ is an animated satire on Black consciousness from the standpoint of various haircare devices. The film uses photographs, drawings and collage to illustrate the social significance of different hair styles (such as the rebellious Afro of the 1960s) and to trace the methods used by Black people to get woolly-type hair to “go straight”.
The search for the magic potion of hair gel that will stop the hair from “turning back” is conveyed through a humorous mix of text and soul music, giving a context to the question of self-image for Black women living in a society where beautiful hair is supposedly hair that blows freely in the wind….
Description Source: Cinenova Catalogue (1994). Edited by Kate Norrish. Editorial committee: Elaine Burrows, Liane Harris, Helen de Witt
