Four Women

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

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. 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.

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