Hue: A Matter of Colour Film Review

Colourism Is the “prejudicial or preferential treatment of same-race people based solely on their color.”– Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize Winning Author. The Color Purple.

April 6^th, 2014:  Vic Sarin’s family never really understood why he acts the way he does.  Aloof and distant in family situations, this critically acclaimed documentary filmmaker is finally going on that long awaited family vacation – albeit a somewhat working one. Putting career ahead of family has always been his modus. Proving to his Caucasian colleagues that an Indian man was just as capable as they were has always been his Achilles Heel.  In India, people were judged within their own society based on the colour of their skin which begs the question. Were people being judged the same way elsewhere?  Trying to understand the forces that shape his insecurities and the insecurities of others regarding skin tone, Sarin embarks on a global exploration starting with the one country with a kaleidoscope of hues he has always found comfort in, Brazil. Travelling through the Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania, India, and Canada, ‘Hue: A Matter of Colour’ examines the frailties of the human condition behind the social and political realities surrounding colourism.

Framing all of these stories through the inviting lens of Sarin’s own personal journey, we start. Bookended by the iconic Brazilian anthem, Mas Que Nada, Brazil’s vibrant self-expression through music and dance appears to break down barriers and bring people together.  And yet, even within this perceived melting pot of hues in Rio, city worker Renato Laurenco says, “Whites treat people differently according to the shade of skin they have.  Even the black people discriminate against each other, they are not unified”. Growing up in India, Sarin never really knew what colour he was and his aversion to sunlight was ingrained early with a constant parental reinforcement about the perils of dark skin. This unhealthy preoccupation with skin tone set in motion a lifetime of doubt.

Joyce Gladwell the author of Brown Face, Big Master knows of what she speaks.  Waxing on the classification of people as inferior or superior based on skin colour, facial features and hair, Gladwell engages discussions into the origins of Jamaican people. A derivation of African slaves and British land owners the product of which created an emerging class of lighter skinned Jamaican, sometimes referred to as ‘High Yella’. Effective use of archival footage and first had accounts depicted and reinforced the Gladwell narrative with historical clarity.  The product of a light skinned father and dark skinned mother, this internal parsing had Joyce’s grandmother referencing the dark tone of Joyce’s mother as an unfortunate hindrance. This put Joyce’s mother at the bottom of the colourism scale; black at the bottom, brown in the middle and white on top.

Turning the stigmatizing scourge of colourism into a multi-million dollar business empire is what Filipina beauty entrepreneur Elvie Pineda did.  We witness the pain etched in her tears as she recounts her childhood. Ever since first grade, Elvie was referred in Tagalog slang as a Baluga, (derogatory word for very dark-skinned indigenous Filipino). Through her suffering came triumph and the creation of her own line of skin whitening products that has now become a family affair. Sarin gives us an up close and personal look into the Pineda beauty process first hand as we see a patient transformed before our very eyes.

Settling down and getting married is the ultimate in Indian society, says Sapna Abraham. With a society predicated on a network of hierarchy and joint family systems, this Indian actress breaks down the realities of her dark skin and the human stain that it leaves on her. Pushing close to 32 with multiple rejections in tow, Sapna has become ambivalent toward the rituals of marriage.  This superficial preoccupation that dictates human worthy based on colour further reinforces self-hate paradigm.

Sarin presents the most egregious depiction of colourism with the struggle of those living with albinism in Tanzania.  Investigative journalist, Vicky Ntetema, uncovers the powerful network of witch doctors in the underground trade of albino body parts.  With the majority of Tanzanian culture steeped in mysticism, businessmen go to them; police officers go to them even religious leaders seek their guidance. The irony is not lost on anyone as the global desire to lighten and bleach skin to achieve that ideal hue becomes a death sentence for those living with the lightest hue of all, Albinism.

Final Verdict: 3.5 out of 5:  As a black man of West Indian descent, I too have witnessed and heard countless stories of colourism through extended family.  But, it was through the lens of a lifetime of personal trials that Sarin is able to parse out the similarities, differences, advantages and disadvantages towards attitudes on colourism around the world.  From subtle slights to overt dissent, we witness the rationale (or lack thereof) behind this divisive cross-cultural construct of colour hierarchy.  Shedding light on industries predicated on reinforcing colourism such as movies, cosmetics, marriage and advertising, Sarin exposes the realities of how colour and its effect on one’s social capital becomes ingrained into the fabric of society. Although Hue: A Matter of Colour is filled with compelling stories, very little film was allocated to the root causes of colourism within each culture, thus completing the narrative. In the end, acceptance and self-worth are the key takeaways that Sarin eloquently delivers.

The shackles of colourism can be broken.

Hue: A Matter of Colour – Clip #2 from Sepia Films on Vimeo.