# All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt

All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt is a 2023 American drama film written and directed by Raven Jackson in her feature-film directorial debut. It stars Charleen McClure, Moses Ingram, Reginald Helms Jr., Zainab Jah, Sheila Atim, and Chris Chalk. Barry Jenkins serves as a producer under his Pastel banner. The film has very little spoken dialogue.
It had its world premiere in the U.S. Dramatic competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2023 and was released by A24 on November 3, 2023. It received positive reviews from critics and was named one of the top 10 independent films of 2023 by the National Board of Review.

## Plot

The film charts the growth, loves, and heartbreaks of a Black woman in Mississippi, from her childhood through to her adult years.

## Cast

* Charleen McClure as Mack
** Kaylee Nicole Johnson as young Mack
** Zainab Jah as older Mack
* Moses Ingram as Josie
** Jayah Henry as young Josie
* Reginald Helms Jr. as Wood
** Preston McDowell as young Wood
* Sheila Atim as Evelyn
* Chris Chalk as Isaiah

## Production

In February 2021, it was announced that Raven Jackson would write and direct the film, with Barry Jenkins set to serve as a producer under his Pastel banner, and A24 set to produce and distribute.
Principal photography took place in Tennessee and in Vicksburg and Jackson, Mississippi in the fall of 2021.

## Release

All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2023. It also screened at the 71st San Sebastián International Film Festival and the 2023 New York Film Festival. The film was released by A24 on November 3, 2023.

## Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 89% of 65 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "For viewers willing and able to adjust to its leisurely, recursive rhythm, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt is a beautifully elegant exploration of grief and longing." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 87 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Richard Brody, in The New Yorker, described it as the most distinctive film of 2023 from a strict perspective of inventive narrative form.

### Accolades

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| Sundance Film Festival | January 27, 2023 | Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic Competition | All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt | Nominated |
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | September 30, 2023 | Golden Shell | All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt | Nominated |
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | September 30, 2023 | RTVE-Another Look Award: Special Mention | All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt | Won |
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | September 30, 2023 | SIGNIS Award | All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt | Won |
| Ghent International Film Festival | October 21, 2023 | Best Film | All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt | Nominated |
| Chicago International Film Festival | October 22, 2023 | Gold Hugo | All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt | Nominated |
| Montclair Film Festival | October 29, 2023 | Breakthrough Director & Writer Award | Raven Jackson | Won |
| Gotham Independent Film Awards | November 27, 2023 | Breakthrough Director | Raven Jackson | Nominated |
| National Board of Review | December 6, 2023 | Top 10 Independent Films | All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt | Won |
| IndieWire Critics Poll | December 11, 2023 | Best Cinematography | Jomo Fray | 5th Place |
| IndieWire Critics Poll | December 11, 2023 | Best First Feature | All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt | 2nd Place |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | December 12, 2023 | Best Editing | All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | December 12, 2023 | Milos Stehlik Award for Breakthrough Filmmaker | Raven Jackson | Nominated |
| Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | December 21, 2023 | Best First Film | Raven Jackson | Nominated |
| Black Reel Awards | January 16, 2024 | Outstanding Independent Film | All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt | Nominated |
| Black Reel Awards | January 16, 2024 | Outstanding Emerging Director | Raven Jackson | Nominated |
| Black Reel Awards | January 16, 2024 | Outstanding First Screenplay | Raven Jackson | Nominated |
| Black Reel Awards | January 16, 2024 | Outstanding Cinematography | Jomo Fray | Won |
| Independent Spirit Awards | February 25, 2024 | Best First Feature | Raven Jackson, Maria Altamirano, Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins, and Adele Romanski | Nominated |
| Independent Spirit Awards | February 25, 2024 | Best Cinematography | Jomo Fray | Nominated |