<I>Four Women</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1975
name: label: Directed by
content: Julie Dash, American, born 1952
label: Produced by
content: Winfred Tennison
label: Recorded by
content: Nina Simone, American, 1933 - 2003
label: Subject of
content: Linda Martina Young, American
label: Owned by
content: Pearl Bowser, American, 1931 - 2023
notes: label: Caption
content: This 16mm film by Julie Dash uses dance to explore African American female identity and stereotypes. The featured dancer is Linda Martina Young, and the accompanying music is "Four Women" by Nina Simone.
label: Description
content: A short experimental film with the title Four Women. It consists of a single reel of 16mm color acetate film with optical sound (2012.79.1.40.1a). A film canister (2012.79.1.40.1c) also accompanies the film strip.
label: Description
content: The film features four dancers set to music by Nina Simone: Aunt Sarah (Linda Martina Young), Sweet Thing, Peaches and Saffronia. It begins with a completely black frame with the sound of chanting in the background before the title of the film appears. There is then a series of closeup shots of a dancer (L. Martina Young) underneath a large sheet of translucent fabric and large sheets of cloth as the dancer slowly moves. The sound changes to an unidentified indigenous group singing and chanting as the dancer continues to move under the fabric. As the dancer continues her interpretive moves, the sound again changes to that of a whip being used, the sound of running water, and the sound of moaning/wailing voices. In the following sequence, Nina Simone’s “Four Women” begins to play and the dancer’s costume changes to a long dress and shawl, which reflects the first character of the song, Aunt Sarah.
label: Description
content: In the next series of shots, the dancer has changed to a black dress and black veil as Simone describes the next character, Saffronia, who is of mixed race and the product of her mother being raped by a white man. As Simone begins describing the next character, Sweet Thing, a prostitute with both black and white clients, there are close up shots of the body part being described. The dancer has changed to a loose floral print dress and her hair is no longer tied back or hidden by a veil. In the fourth and final sequence, the dancer is wearing cornrows and has changed to a brightly colored tube top and matching pants to represent Simone's character, Peaches, a black woman toughened by generations of oppression. Prior to the song’s and the film’s conclusion, there is a brief montage of all four women as portrayed by the dancer.
label: Statement
content: Objects depicting racist and/or stereotypical imagery or language may be offensive and disturbing, but the NMAAHC aims to include them in the Collection to present and preserve the historical context in which they were created and used. Objects of this type provide an important historical record from which to study and evaluate racism.
place: label: Place filmed
content: United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Dance
label: Topic
content: Film
label: Topic
content: Identity
label: Topic
content: Stereotypes
label: Topic
content: Women
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Pearl Bowser Collection
label: Classification
content: Time-based Media - Moving Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2012.79.1.40.1ac
objectType: label: Type
content: sound films
label: Type
content: color films (visual works)
label: Type
content: short subjects
label: Type
content: 16mm (photographic film size)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Unknown - Restrictions Possible
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: acetate film, metal and plastic
label: Dimensions
content: Physical extent (film): 300 ft
label: Dimensions
content: Duration: 8 min.