Alma's Rainbow Film Screening

Alma's Rainbow - A Film by Ayoka Chenzira (1994)
Alma's Rainbow was written, directed, and produced by artist/educator, Ayoka Chenzira. An award-winning, internationally acclaimed film and video artist, Chenzira was one of the first African Americans to teach film production in higher education. She is also noted as the first African American woman animator.

Alma's Rainbow tells the story of Alma Gold, an African-American straight-laced owner of a beauty parlor who lives with her adolescent daughter, Rainbow, in Brooklyn, New York. This unique story utilizes both comedy and drama to tell its story. Rainbow attends a strict parochial school, studies dance and is just becoming aware of boys. Alma has fooled herself into believing she has no need of male companionship and advises her daughter to follow her example.

However, when Alma's older daughter, Ruby, a successful, sexy nightclub singer from Paris, arrives for a visit, Alma and Rainbow's austere life is disrupted.

Faculty Discussant: Sydney Carpenter, Professor of Studio Art

Sponsored by Black Studies and the Swarthmore College Library