This film is a love letter honoring black women, celebrating the braid as the purest form of self-love and self-expression, that shines a glowing light of love on the natural hair movement.
Director’s Vision
As a female filmmaker, I yearn to empower the divine feminine in my work. I had been following the natural hair movement and listening and learning about the struggles black women face. I wanted to create an uplifting film highlighting braided styles, honoring black women and their journey.
From the impetus of the inspiration and my curiosity about the history of braiding, I connected with my closest BIWOC sisters to learn, absorb, and connect. I become captivated and was inspired to make something. After my friend Monica introduced me to her braider Nina J, they both shared the same spirit of collaboration and support to make the film, which gave me the confidence to move forward. This led to the making of “Our Crown.”
It was crucial to bring the right team together to learn, grow and collaborate with. I was humbled every step of the way, as the amazing team behind it grew. The representation of who came together to make this film is as important as the film itself. Led by producer/EP Marie Alyse Rodriguez of Intuition Films, who was featured on Hulu highlighting her mission for nurturing racially equitable film sets; and EP/music producer TT the Artist, who is the creator of the Netflix documentary titled Dark City: Beneath the Beat; the script based on a poem by Olu Butterfly; edited by Jasmine Mccullough from Joint Editorial; showcasing the incredible artistry of braider Nina J Potts and styling by Monica Cargile, captured by DP Suzaine Aguirre; with production designer Jazzy Sejuan at the helm of set direction – the experience of making this film was so special and something I will never forget.
Many of the ideals America stands for have been revealed as smoke and mirrors. The bottom line is it took until 2019 for real change to occur with the Crown Act being passed in California, banning discrimination against natural black hairstyles, including protective styles like braids, cornrows, locs, and twists. The hope for this film is to spark a conversation and give this topic the proper glowing spotlight it deserves.
