"Daughters of the Dust" Scene Analysis

In Julie Dash's "Daughter of the Dust", in a critical scene the family is gathered around on the beach to celebrate and commemorate the elder family members and the crossing of their family onto the mainland. The scene starts with an extreme long shot of two people riding across the beach on a bicycle who start in frame ad then go out. Then there is a cut to the face of an elder in the family speaking about the importance of their gathering. The actors are blocked in such a way that they overlap in a sense no one person is ever by themselves. Thus, no character is ever in a single shot alone. There is always at least one or more other characters within the same shot. For instance when the elder who speaks to the family is shown, the head of another family member is shown behind him, as if to comment on the family's supportiveness. Most of the characters lean on eachother and sit very closely which further reveals a since of protection and security amongst them that they value.
The interaction between the figures and the landscape is another key consideration for the setup of this scene as well. For instance, most of the family is seated on the sands of the beach while they listen to the elders in the family speak, but the audience doesnt see the vast space of the beach as shown previously. In one frame, the characters are seated specifically around the older man who talks about the importance of the things they're parents taught them and honoring the "old souls." They all look up at him, listening carefully and seem to be at one with eachother which calls attention to the theme of unity. The beach is a major forefront of the film as a whole cause most of the scenes take place on it. However, in this scene less attention is drawn to the depth of the surrounding shown by tighter framing on the family.
In addition, the costumes in this scene create an important aesthetic thematically. During the commemoration, there is a tight shot of half of the family sitting together looking up at the figures standing. It seems that the shot was put together in such a way that near the foreground of the frame from the center to the right, all of the characters are dressed whites and cream colored clothing. They also happen to be the younger members of the family. Whereas in the middleground and background towards the left, characters placed wear navy blue and black colored clothing. These are the older members of the family who take on leadership roles. This is important because the difference in costume immediately signifies a difference in the characters position or role within the family.
The stylistic use of blocking, the interaction between figures and environment, and costumes employed in this scene suggest a running theme throughout them film that calls attention to the importance of unity and security amongst a family, as in efforts to remember pay homage to those who have paved the way for the younger generations.