2024
Short Documentary(World Premiere)

The Whites of Our Eyes

CC
Closed captions online
OC
Open captions in-person

The Whites of Our Eyes is a short documentary film that follows Dr. Yaba Blay as she returns to her familial homeland of Ghana to explore the relationships between beauty, bodies and b/Blackness. In addition to recreating the groundbreaking Clark Doll Test among schoolchildren, the film follows a young hustler as he prepares for his community’s annual harvest festival by bleaching his skin. Amid the ghosts of colonialism and the gods of whiteness, The Whites of Our Eyes questions ideas and ideals of beauty in contemporary Ghana.

Screenings

Virtual

August 4 – August 6
August 1 – August 3

Directors Spotlight

Yaba Blay

Director

An “Independent People’s Worker,” Dr. Yaba Blay is a scholar-activist, cultural worker, and occasional writer. Her practice centers Black global experiences, particularly those of Black women and girls. Her research and scholarship engage the Black body, with a particular focus on colorism and beauty politics. Dr. Blay’s commentary is featured in A Changing America: 1968 and Beyond, a permanent installation exhibited in the National Museum of African American History and Culture; and she is the author of the bestselling, award-winning book, One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race.

A black-and-white picture of a woman named Maame Adjei. She stands against a plain white background, wearing a dark long-sleeved blouse with intricate, light-colored line patterns and high-waisted black pants. The blouse has a deep V-neck and is adorned with buttons. Her hair is styled in a low, neat bun. She has her left hand resting on her right arm, and her right hand gently touching her face while smiling warmly.

Maame Adjei

Director

Maame Adjei is a multi-hyphenate creative entrepreneur with a passion for telling visual stories that connect, expose and explore the Continent and its diaspora. Her producing work, under her company Sweet Roots Media, includes TV programming like hit series ‘An African City’, documentaries like “Beneath The Fabric” and visual arts installations for various festivals on the Continent. She’s been featured in Elle, Marie Claire and CNN’s African Voices and has written for The Huffington Post and Blavity.

Runtime
25 minutes
Country
Ghana
Language
English
Director
Yaba Blay & Maame Adjei
Cast
Felix Kotey Amon, Aseda
Cinematographer
Percy “Mutombo” Osei-Appiah
Composer
Bondzie (M3NSA) Ansah
Producer
Yaba Blay, Maame Adjei
Production Design
Maame Adjei
Screenwriter
Yaba Blay
Editor
Percy “Mutombo” Osei-Appiah
Executive Producer
Yaba Blay, Imani Perry, Rakia Rahmeeka Reynolds, THE COMMUNITY
Premiere
World

Sign-up for Festival Updates