Synopsis

‘You Can’t Stop Spirit’ centres on the Baby Doll Mardi Gras masking tradition. Mardi Gras is the only day where social rank is abolished and everyone is equal. Against this backdrop, Black women experience a new freedom; one in which they are able to participate in nontraditional behaviors and practices without fear of critique. The Baby Dolls fearlessly pull a thread throughout time to reclaim culture, tradition and freedom while challenging society’s perception of how Black women are to act and exist in the world.

Details

Short (15mins) Documentary | United States of America

Production

Directors:

Vashni Korin

Vashni Korin is a Caribbean-American journalist, filmmaker and artist based in Los Angeles. Born in New York with roots in Barbados, Puerto Rico and the West Indies, her cultural background has influenced much of her research as she connects the larger diaspora through folklore, spirituality and celebration. Her first documentary short, “You Can’t Stop Spirit” explores themes of identity, sexual liberation and the freedom that carnival lends in New Orleans amongst Black women. She's worked alongside Lizzo as a cinematographer for her upcoming documentary and produces shorts that highlight Black history in the US. She is an awarded 2019/2020 New Orleans Film Society Emerging Voices and Antenna Works Platforms Fund.