DVD
In this semi-animated short a young girl growing up in the 1940’s attempts to be “more than ordinary” as she struggles to find an identity between her Black American and Native American heritages. Features original water color & animation cell art by Carlos Spivey. Voices: Bill Cobbs, Candida Mobley, Michelle Davidson and Herself. The film is archived at the Academy of Motion Pictures as part of the Women Make Movies permanent collection. 16mm (single frame), 7 min., 1988.
REVIEWS
“Ingenious use of graphics and animation shape a charmingly wry, tender story.”
–Los Angeles Times
“In this brief but delightful vignette a young woman of mixed heritages traces her identity-seeking process from childhood to adulthood as she attempts to answer the question, “Who am I?” …Recommended for general audiences.”/Sociology
–American Library Association
“Heartfelt, often hilarious…A fine, spirited portrayal of a girl’s search for identity.”
–Moving Pictures Bulletin
“As a visual, it works well to delineate the historical fact of our intersecting cultural and spiritual ties with Native Americans. the children love it; and so do I.”
–Prof. Alexis De Veaux, Buffalo, NY
- Broadcast on The Learning Channel & PBS TV
- 1st Place, Black American Cinema Society
- Paul Robeson Award, Newark Black Film Festival
- A “Prized Pieces” Selection, National Black Programming Consortium
- Distributed by Women Make Movies www.wmm.com
- Available on DVD, 16mm and 16mm – French track
- Available on DVD with the short “Back Inside Herself”
Artist Carlos Spivey creates animation cells for Picking Tribes.
(r) S. Pearl Sharp, 1988. photo: Roland Charles