Written by Madisyn Welborn. Photo courtesy of SCAD Savannah Film Festival.
As open conversations and condemnation concerning microaggressions in professional spaces are normalized, the important topic’s presence in the media has found its space. Matthew Law and Daisha Graf address the common microaggression head-on in their 16-minute short film, “Don’t Touch My Hair.” The drama-comedy jumps back and forth between the present and one year ago as the main character, Daisha, deals with the inner battle and outward responses when approached by a non-POC trying to touch and reduce her naturally curly hair.
Daisha Graf, co-writer, producer and main character, shared on Instagram in regards to the short, “I pray this film inspires collective conversation. I pray you are reminded of your power. And even if society may say otherwise, you have been perfectly created just the way you are.”
The majority of the short film follows Daisha’s experience when she is cast in a movie and is told to come looking “natural” and is then later confronted with microaggressive comments from her white counterparts. The film simultaneously confronts the issues of uneducated, fake wokeness in professional spaces. The film uses phrases like “tame the beast” and “that’s not what he meant,” further opening the conversation around what microaggressions sound like in the workplace.
While it’s only a 16-minute short film, Law and Graf still found a way to incorporate the rollercoaster of emotions that people experience while enduring micro-aggressive behavior. This film proves that although conversations about microaggressions are relevant, there is still much change that needs to be done.
