Are WE Beautiful? seeks to explore Black people through generations and their relationship to beauty. The documentary wants to address how social media has defined Black beauty in the digital age. And the notions of how individuals in the Black community form a sense of self under intense pressure and influence. 

This documentary is divided into two interconnected and intercutting pieces. Part A, our street interviews with Black people in public spaces. Real New Yorkers we have come across, answering questions about themselves and their experiences with becoming self-aware of the concept of beauty. The responses so far have been incredibly eye-opening, enlightening, and touching. The answers we get in the street interviews will connect with topics discussed in the second part. Part B of the documentary will focus on the five elements of beauty.

These elements represent a part of ourselves. Our skin; what we walk around in each day, the first thing someone notices. Our hair; often policed by our jobs, there has been an intense stigma surrounding our hair for centuries. It could be curly, it can be straight, it can be tightly coiled.  Our bodies, it carries us, it carries life, bold hips, skinny hips, there are so many different shapes and sizes. Our outward expression, the way we present ourselves to the world, the way we dress, the way we act. And lastly our inner expression, the way we feel, our emotions. These all in some way make us who we are. And we have emotions and thoughts about each of these things. We will sit down in a studio with our principal subjects and expand on each of these elements in greater detail, paired with stunning visuals. 

(Film from our test shoot and first interviews)

Are WE Beautiful? will open the door to conversations about the way Black people feel about themselves. Focusing on how the differences in age and generational upbringing affect self-image, while highlighting how beautiful Black people are. Society's views on beauty are always changing, but what has remained is that Black beauty is often the “other”. Our facial features and body image have consistently been the butt of jokes for centuries. Our bodies are stared at, experimented on, and ridiculed. In the time of social media and the digital age, beauty standards are changing: lips are getting fuller, bodies are curvier, and skin is more and more ambiguous. Yet, Black people who have influenced these changes still feel like outsiders.  

Surrounded by white media and white normative beauty standards, those ideals of beauty, goodness, and worth are shaping the way young Black people view themselves. Rarely spoken out loud, the subconscious is plagued by these influences. “Are WE Beautiful?” is an exploration of the way societal views affect the Black self-image. Our story will be told through a series of interviews with real New Yorkers of different ages, and gender expressions exploring and discussing the titular question: are we beautiful?

This story is incredibly important to me because growing up, I felt alone, isolated by the way I felt about the way that I looked. As I age, I have realized that maybe those feelings were not solitary but rather a shared struggle greater than myself that all Black people may have to learn how to overcome. Does it come with age?  It is through social media that I see conversations people my age have about their experiences with self-image growing up. It should be on a bigger platform that our feelings are being discussed. And it should be: for us and by us. Focusing on my community, highlighting our beauty, and what it means to be beautiful to us. I hope that this can be some semblance of comfort for Black people of all ages, and a welcomed lesson to others. 

Tiarra Smith, Director

BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL is a cultural movement that began in the 1960s in the United States by various African Americans working independently and collectively to dismiss inherent racist notions in the manner that beauty was discussed and categorized. “Black is Beautiful'' was born from Kwame Braithwaite’s fashion show titled, “Naturally ‘62” which featured black women in their natural hair and bodies, moving away from western beauty standards. The movement reimagined and affirmed features, such as skin color, hair texture, nose shape, and other predominantly Afro-centric features. It signified a sense of pride in Black identity and Black culture.

(TEST SHOOT, JUNE 19,2022)

We have now found ourselves at an age and point in our lives, where we are finally coming to a point of understanding who we are. Our receptivity has led us to a place of openness, where we believe we can properly tell this story. Having enlightening conversations with New Yorkers that dive deeper into the Black subconscious. At this point in time, there has yet to be a documentary that explores Black people’s relationship to the digital age and its effect on opinions of self. And we believe we can have these conversations and bring toward a wider audience.

When you support our film you are helping out Black and POC filmmakers to create in a tough industry and joining an important conversation through your support of the arts.

Are WE Beautiful? Has been in pre-production and development since the start of 2022. In June 2022, we conducted a test shoot in Washington Square Park. Which gave us insight to how we want to conduct this project. For our principal production, we plan to shoot in Fall 2022, throughout October, November, and early December. The film will be shot throughout New York City, primarily in Harlem and Brooklyn. 

Our production will work to protect the safety of all crew and cast members. In regards to the current pandemic, our production will provide, PPE for COVID and other seasonal illnesses. And we will follow health and safety guidelines for our interior shoots

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