Céline Roustan
BABYBANGZ is not “just” a hair salon in New Orleans, it is a place where the local community gathers, providing a safe space for all its female customers to share their life experiences. In Juliana Kasumu’s 11-minute short doc, the director takes us inside Anastasia Ebel’s business in Mid-City, NOLA, a place its owner built with a desire to style natural hair and celebrate, while empowering, her community.
There is something I really like when having a conversation and that’s hearing people talk about something they are truly passionate about. I find the authenticity of that genuine love incredibly inspiring. In BABYBANGZ, Kasumu brings to the screen Ebel’s passion for hair and for the history of her community, paring her interviewee’s narration with a striking visual flair that not only invites the audience into this world but also echoes Ebel’s devotion in a visual form.
A hair salon has always been a place where more than hair care happens and Kasumu’s film isn’t the first short to take us inside one. However, when you tie BABYBANGZ to the history of New Orleans, Ebel’s business quickly turns into a much deeper commentary on identity and racial issues. With a very naturalistic approach the filmmaker captures how unique this place feels, and gives context to the symbol that black hair has become because of its historical ramifications and racist beauty standards.
Spencer Mann’s photography helps BABYBANGZ stand out on an aesthetic level
In addition to how powerful this story is, the cinematography quickly grabs your attention. It is obvious that a lot of care went into the framing and the choice of the color palette. This gorgeous aesthetic complements this celebration of beauty and warmly welcomes the audience into the salon, while introducing us to the different women and their dynamic when they get together.
The music, composed by Taul Katz, sets the tone without ever being overbearing. It echoes the energy of the salon while also capturing its importance within the community. With editor Chloe Hardwick, Kusama opens her documentary with an exposition that allows us to get to know the universe and its inhabitants, but once her story and her intentions are clear, the camera expands its scope to the community and we get to witness what Ebel has created: a place where women not only get their hair done, but where they can also exchange and reflect.
BABYBANGZ had an impressive festival run, with selections at the Palm Springs ShortFest, SFFILM, BFI London and awards at AFI Fest, Blackstar and the New Orleans Film Festival, before being released online via The New Yorker. Kasumu’s new short Losing Joy played BFI Flare earlier this year, and the filmmaker is now developing a new short, which she describes as “a deeply personal short film I wrote pre-pandemic”.