Episode 6-Belle
from Wigs and Candles
How many times have you seen a dark-skinned woman wearing a high-society 18th-century dress in history books? How much do you know about the lives of people of colour in the 18th century in England? (at least those who were not enslaved) And here’s one more: how often have you seen a Black woman starring in a period film? With these and a few other challenging questions, we invite you to listen to our conversation about the film “Belle”. Inspired by the real-life story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate mixed-race daughter of an English aristocrat, this movie introduced us to a historical character we knew nothing about and surprised us immensely by the conversation it opened. Not only did we discover a little jewel in recent cinema making, but also it made us aware of the many clichès and false perspectives, we, as women of colour, are ourselves plagued with. A passionate discussion about the story of a woman with a tough destiny, and how present the story still is nowadays. ***Spoiler alert! While reviewing this film we go through key scenes and may reveal the ending, so be warned of spoilers!*** Sources & further links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_(2013_film) “A Stitch in Time: Dido Belle” https://youtu.be/GSDDJrlJukM
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