Comedian Chris Rock's newly released documentary, "Good Hair," has some good connections in and around Birmingham.
Parts of the movie, which explores the lengths many African-American women go through to change their hair, were filmed in Birmingham in 2007. Two Birmingham hair stylists are in the movie, and a Birmingham freelance film producer and a Miles College instructor worked as production assistants on the film.
"It really puts us on the map," said independent film producer Jana Harris, who worked as a production assistant and showed Rock and his crew around the city during their weeklong visit. "People don't think of Birmingham as an ideal location (for filming.) But, I think having a movie of this magnitude shows other producers what they can do here."
Rock has said he got the idea for the movie, which was released nationally nine days ago, when one of his daughters asked him why she didn't have "good hair," referring to straight, long, flowing hair.
Determined to uncover why she would think that, Rock delved into African-American hair culture with a documentary. He explored the multibillion-dollar African-American hair industry, and how African-American women have turned to relaxers to change their hair texture from overly curly to straight. Women also use weaves for convenience, to achieve different textures or to get a variety of looks.
While many African-American women are content with the hair they were born with, there are still many, many others who seek to change it.
Rock interviewed everyday women and men in salons, barbershops and elsewhere in Birmingham, Atlanta, New York and Dallas. He also talked to several celebrities, including Nia Long, Maya Angelou and Raven Symone. Rock used humor to make people think.
"The movie deals with social issues in the black community such as economic empowerment and images of beauty," said Demetrius Newton Jr., a Miles College communications instructor who worked as a production assistant on the film. "Despite the fact that he presents it in a humorous manner, these are serious issues."
Part of Rock's research led him to Atlanta, where the Bronner Bros. hair company puts on an annual hair show competition. Birmingham stylist Tanya Crumel of Pedestals Salon was one of the four contestants.
Rock interviewed her and filmed her as she prepared for competition. Crumel's business partner, Kevin Kirk, is in the movie, too.
"I wasn't selected to be in the movie at first. They came there looking for Tanya," Kirk said. "They didn't really know me. But, when they met me, and realized the history I had," he said they incorporated him into the story.
Kirk has won first place at three Bronner Bros.' hair shows, including in August when he took home $20,000 and a new Ford Taurus.
Since his third win and the movie's release, he's received requests to judge hair shows and teach classes; and a national magazine has asked him to review a hair product, he said.
Although Kirk and Crumel are happy about the movie's release, it comes at a time when they are in mourning. Crumel's 18-year-old son and Huffman High School senior, Jeremy Crumel, was in a car accident on Oct. 25 and died two days later.
To give Crumel a break from everything, Kirk and others took her to see the film three days after Jeremy's death. who has appeared in a couple of episodes of Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" to consult with one of the personalities about her wig line, is also in the movie as a contestant.
Harris said that while Rock was in town, they visited the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and restaurant Niki's West. She added that Rock interviewed Birmingham resident James Armstrong, the man who often cut the Rev. Martin Luther King's hair, but that piece didn't make it into the final cut.
The movie won the Special Jury Prize for U.S. Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. It is showing at Alabaster 14, Summit 16 and Trussville Stadium 16.
The credit on the photo was corrected at 11:18 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 2, 2009