Alma's Rainbow

Ayoka Chenzira's 1994 American film follows Alma, who runs a beauty parlour in Brooklyn, and her daughter Rainbow. Alma wants an orderly life; her daughter is looking for her own way. When an aunt returns from the world of show business, the balance breaks. The film gives each of the three women's views in turn; the narrative does not say who is right and uses the salon as a place of argument. It is counted among the first features directed by a Black woman in the United States. It fell out of circulation for a long time before being restored. The tone is light and colourful. Who it's for: viewers of independent American cinema and women-centred family stories. Who it's not for: viewers expecting high production value; the film was made on a small scale.