Love her or hate her, almost everyone has a Barbie story. Even if they don’t have a story, there’s a story as to why they don’t have a story. In this film, we tell the story behind the first Black Barbie, because yes, she has a story too. It started with the filmmaker’s 83-year old aunt, Beulah Mae Mitchell and a seemingly simple question, “Why not make a Barbie that looks like me?”
Touring with the Film
Lagueria Davis (Director/Producer) graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2007 with a BFA in Media Art. Since graduating, Davis has established herself as an award-winning filmmaker. Maid of Dishonor a feature she co-wrote was a 2016 Nicholls Fellowship Quarter-Finalist. In addition, she’s had four scripts place in the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition. In 2019, her short film, Light in Dark Places hit the film festival circuit and is now streaming on Amazon. Currently, Davis is in production on her next project Black Barbie: A Documentary and a 2021 fellow in the Mentorship Matters program. Davis resides in LA where she’s on the Emeritus Board of the Alliance of Women Directors.
Aaliyah Williams (Producer) is a Peabody Award nominated producer and founder of Just a Rebel, a television and film production company that focuses on contemporary stories that center and celebrate Black women. Just A Rebel’s first look deal with CBS Television Studios has been renewed for a second year. Previously, Williams ran The Digital Studio at MACRO, where she developed and produced Gentefied which was acquired by and adapted as a half hour for Netflix. Williams is an Executive Producer on the series which just wrapped production on Season 2 and received a Peabody Award nomination for Season 1. As CCO she co-created the MACRO Episodic Lab with the Black List’s Franklin Leonard. Additionally, she developed and produced 2018 Sundance selection Leimert Park which is currently streaming on BET+ and the upcoming film Really Love starring Kofi Siriboe, Uzo Aduba, Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing. Originally from Arkansas and Oklahoma, Williams graduated from Harvard and is a Film Independent Project Involve, Sundance, and active Ron Brown Scholar alumna.
Schedule
Georgia Circuit with Lagueria Davis (Director/Producer)
TO BE RESCHEDULED
Rome, GA - Rome International Film Festival and Berry College
Atlanta, GA - Plaza Atlanta and Fox Theatre, Atlanta
Roswell, GA - City of Roswell, GA
Tuesday, September 19, 2023: Lawrenceville, GA - Aurora Theatre
Hapeville, GA - City of Hapeville
Kentucky - Tennessee Circuit with Aaliyah Williams (Producer)
Monday, October 30, 2023: Lexington, KY - The Living Arts & Science Center
Thursday, November 2, 2023: Bowling Green, KY - Western Kentucky University
Saturday, November 4, 2023: Nashville, TN - Global Education Center