Our Hair Deserves Care - Fola Evans-Akingbola and Jordan Pitt on the Documentary ‘Untold Stories: Hair On Set’
BLK BRIT interviews directors Fola Evans-Akingbola, and Jordan Pitt on their brilliantly impactful documentary ‘Untold Stories: Hair On Set’. It features exclusive insights from fellow actors and other notable figures including Naomie Harris, Nathalie Emmanuel, Afua Hirsch and David Ajala just to name a few. Black British entertainers and professionals sharing a collective experience of how Afro and curly hair is treated through personal accounts. With increasing numbers of Black and ethnic individuals entering the creative industries, support, awareness and equity in work environments is an essential ongoing focus. We discuss the process of creating such a hard-hitting, heartfelt project from inception to completion, the importance of re-education creating scope for change and maintaining hope and self-esteem through challenging experiences.
Image from left to right: Lee MJ Daley, Fola Fola Evans-Akingbola and Jordan Pitt
For those who think it is ‘just hair’ the film captures the context of the nuance beautifully. What process did you go through from ideas and conversations to deciding to make it into a project?
Fola: “My hair has always been the ground for grappling with ideas about identity, race, and beauty so I feel like it’s been an idea that has been marinating since I was a child, it was just a matter of what form it would take. My mother, Dr Gillian Evans, has also always taught me that there is nothing too small to be examined. Everything we do as humans and all our social interactions can reveal so much about the society and culture we live in. As an actress, I would constantly have these conversations about hair on set behind closed doors with my peers. In 2019, I finally decided to bring those conversations in front of the camera. The idea was in a different format, went through a mini process of development and then stopped for a while. Nevertheless, behind the scenes, the conversations I was having about these bad on set experiences weren’t stopping. Eventually I think the frustration that I was hearing from everyone made me see that a light needed to be shone on the topic and there were some deeper things to be explored. I realised I couldn’t just let this project die on the vine. Even then though, the initial 2021 iteration of this project that I approached Jordan with had a different focus. It was only when Jordan pushed me to hone in on and be brave about what I really cared about exploring, that we arrived back at this issue of hair on set and how widespread the problem is. It was just too big to not explore it.”
Please go into the process of self-funding a film and choosing collaborators. How did you make sure the integrity of the message remains throughout the whole process?
Fola: “ I had received some rejection in 2019 about a previous version of this project and I got a little demoralised at first, but as I mentioned before, the topic just kept coming back up in my life – I couldn’t drop it. I was in the very fortunate position of being able to self-fund and so I decided that I shouldn’t wait for permission to tell a story I knew was important. Self-funding is incredibly stressful, scary, and pressure filled, but it is also so rewarding and gives you a real sense of empowerment. There really are pros and cons to it. Pros: you don’t have to wait for permission, there is no one controlling what you can and can’t do creatively, it teaches you so much about all the details of producing. Cons: It’s your money. Haha. Once I had decided to create something myself, I then knew that the most important decision would be who my collaborators were going to be. I asked around and Jordan Pitt & Lee Daley came highly recommended. My Uncle (Jimmy Akingbola) told me how reliable Jordan was and how he was a “do-er”. Not someone who would flake. That’s really what was important to me and I am beyond grateful to have been put in touch with them. It also links back to the topic of self-funding: it wouldn’t have been possible to make it on the budget I had if Jordan & Lee hadn’t been willing to join the team for very little except the sheer passion and promise of being part of a hopefully great project! They were very understanding of the budget constraints. Maintaining the integrity of the message was something we always came back to. We all had to stay open to the constantly evolving nature of the project - it was lots and lots of conversations and script drafts and more conversations. We knew that as long as we kept coming back to the original core of what we wanted to explore, the integrity would be maintained.”
Were there any challenges you faced or difficult moments in directing this documentary?
Jordan: “To be honest, there weren’t many challenges that were outside the norm of filmmaking. It started out as a very short 5-10 minute idea and grew so large that we struggled to condense it into the 45 minute version we have now, so that was one of the challenges that sticks out! Although, on the one hand that is a positive thing, it’s something that is actually quite sad. It is a reflection of the size of the issue and how widespread it is. It’s hard to ignore it when you have so many people at different stages of their career willing to talk about it. So one of the biggest challenges was actually sitting through and hearing each actor’s story, in which you’d experience a rollercoaster of emotions. I knew the issue existed, but I would never have imagined it was to this extent.”
Image from left to right: Lee MJ Daley, Jordan Pitt, Nathalie Emmanuel and Fola Evans-Akingbola
In pitching to networks, Sky UK&I has acquired the documentary to reinforce its ongoing commitment to inclusivity. How important was it in the process that the platform reflects the type of change discussed?
Jordan: “Yeah, it’s very important, that’s the whole reason we made the documentary; for change to be reflected across the board. It needs to be a standard thing on set industry-wide where Black people have their hair catered to and it’s not seen as an extra request. For a platform to take it on shows that they are in agreement, so an implementation of change would be the natural next step. It’s worth noting that in this particular case, Sky were already working on this initiative prior to them acquiring the documentary, so when it was put in front of them, it was a perfect fit as all aligned. Hopefully other companies will now follow suit!”
In telling these stories from notable figures across generations, why do you think there still hasn’t been enough of a shift in the accessibility to good styling within the industry?
Fola: “I think it either hasn’t been on the radar of some people and/ or it hasn’t been made a priority for a lot of the people in positions of power in industry. If you don’t think something is important why would you invest time, energy and resources into it? So I think half the challenge is getting across to everyone how much it really does matter, how many people are impacted, and how everyone will benefit creatively from improvements to this area.”
Does claiming our skin and hair type harder to handle than carrying an element of oppression by making individuals feel like an inconvenience or afterthought?
Fola: “The claim that our skin and hair type is harder is just inaccurate. There are different skills needed but if you have those skills and you practise them then it won’t be this foreign thing. Every hair type has its own unique beautiful qualities that will carry with it its own requirements. It’s really that simple. Textured hair is as beautiful as any other and it’s so incredibly versatile.”
As skillsets and understanding should match the clients on a project, do you feel the main factor is within the selection processes for staff?
Fola: “Creating change is going to be about many things happening at once. Yes, you’re right – the person with the best skills for the job needs to be hired onto the hair team. On top of that though, here are some other things: firstly, education in hair schools has to improve. It has only just become compulsory for Afro hair to be taught. Whilst that’s a crucial step in the right direction, the schools still have to do the work to ensure the educators themselves are of a high standard; secondly, people already working in the industry need to stay curious and willing to do additional training. It is hard for people to find the time and money for the courses, so companies could support that more through funding; Furthermore, access into the industry needs to be smoother for the people who already have the skills but just can’t break into the industry. The list could go on and on- but those are all good starting points.”
Experiences such as these have also inspired brands to emerge to cater to Black and Brown people. This has been game-changing, but do you feel more can be done in that area?
Fola: I think product and brand wise we are in a fantastic place. There are now lots of amazing brands whose product lines cater to textured hair. As long as you know what your hair needs, I think you can find something out there for you. If it is also important to you that a brand is owned by people who reflect the customer base you can find those too. My favourites for my hair at the moment are Shedid & Parrish, Boucleme, and I also want to try The Steam Bar.
In how different hair types are handled on set, the male experience is sometimes not discussed but is explored in this film, which was great to see, as may be a harder conversation exploring vulnerability of men. Was it challenging getting these types of stories and what they face?
Jordan: “I wouldn’t say it was a challenge, no, and that in itself is problematic, as again, it shows the depth of the problem. It was important for me to shine a light on that, as the initial assumption is that it only affects women, but everyone struggles to some extent. When Fola and I first spoke, that was where my mind initially went, but I soon started to contemplate my experiences on set over the years as an actor and reconsider the things that were and were not in place. Men were just as willing to share their stories I found.”
In the media, we even see school children being subjected to biased policies around our hair, which continues into adulthood. When you have incidents like these, what tools do you recommend for people not to internalise the experience or seek help?
Fola: “Great organisations and initiatives such as The Halo Code are working hard to prevent these terrible cases of discrimination happening at school and work. In the meantime I think the most powerful thing parents can do is to naturally instil in their children as much pride about who they are, where they come from, and the beauty in their hair.”
Jordan: “ I think the power is in talking and continuing to shine light on problems when they arise. Suffering in silence has gone on for too long. Silence can hinder progress, as you won’t know the real extent of problems if they aren’t spoken about. With regards to children, I think empowering them from a young age to give them the confidence to speak about incidents and experiences so hopefully that carries on into adulthood.”
What conversations and movements do you feel the film could enable? What impact do you hope the documentary has?
Fola: “ I hope the film brings this topic out from the shadows so that no one can say that they didn’t know it was an issue. We are working to make sure other broadcasters follow Sky’s lead and make their own pledge about hair & makeup equality on set. The American Union SAG-AFTRA has ensured the new film/TV agreement has provisions to ensure hair and makeup equality. We need to make certain that the UK union, Equity, also adds that same kind of protection for performers to the UK agreements. The wonderful thing about putting a project out into the world is that you can’t control exactly what comes from it. It takes on a life of its own. I hope it emboldens the people who have already been doing this work for decades and I hope it inspires more people to join in and add their unique perspective and contribution.”
Jordan: “ I think the film can enable companies across the board, not just in film, to look at their workforce and begin to look inwards at any issues that may exist. I hope the film will start conversations and shift current cultures where issues exist and have not currently been addressed. We have already screened it in front of audiences outside of the film industry and seen this take place, so we know that the film is having an impact. The hope is for it to continue and to do so on a larger scale. The documentary simply scratches the surface of the issue and I hope it’s used as a tool to dig deeper and force change.”
Do you feel like we will ever get to a stage where Black hair is not politicised or a subject of debate?
Fola: “I think, to a certain extent, the personal will always be political, for everyone… but there is a particular burden on certain sections of the population. Hopefully we’ll get to a place where people with Afro hair will be free of that level of pressure.”
Jordan: “I can only hope that one day Black hair isn’t a debate; I hate the fact that this is even a topic in 2023! We made this film as our contribution to help push that change, but in my opinion, progress is far too slow… so I can only hope!”
Untold Stories: Hair On Set is now available on SkyTV