One of the most buzzed-about titles coming out of Sundance Film Festival this year was the feature-length directorial debut of Dee Rees, Pariah. Based off of her short film of the same name, the drama follows a 17-year old African American lesbian (Adepero Oduye) in Brooklyn who’s trying to find her place in the world.
Focus Features picked up the film in a seven-figure deal, as well as signing to Rees next film. We now have the first trailer via Apple and I can see why the film won Best Cinematography in the dramatic category. Also starring Pernell Walker, Aasha Davis, Charles Parnell, Sahra Mellesse, Kim Wayans, one can see the trailer below.
Synopsis:
A rousing success at its world premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, this deeply felt human drama is the feature debut of writer/director Dee Rees. Adepero Oduye portrays Alike (pronounced “ah-lee-kay”), a 17-year-old African-American woman who lives with her parents (Kim Wayans and Charles Parnell) and younger sister (Sahra Mellesse) in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood. A gifted student, Alike is quietly but firmly embracing her identity as a lesbian. With the support of her best friend Laura (Pernell Walker), she is especially eager to find a girlfriend. Wondering how much she can confide in her family, Alike strives to get through adolescence with grace, humor, and tenacity.
Pariah will hit theaters sometime this year, but no specific date has been set yet.
What do you think of the trailer? Are you looking forward to this indie drama?