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Barbie: love her or hate her, after the blockbuster hit of 2023, everyone knows her! But what’s not as well-known is the story behind the first Black Barbie doll. Now, with Black Barbie: A Documentary, director Lagueria Davis explores the fascinating story behind the first Black Barbie through the eyes of three former Mattel employees, including her 83-year-old aunt, Beulah Mae Mitchell. Mitchell, who worked as a toymaker and receptionist, seems to have inspired the doll by asking her bosses the simple question, “Why not make a Barbie that looks like me?” Featuring a vivid canvas of colors, wonderful interviews, and thorough research, Davis delivers a delightful and insightful documentary.  

"With its deeply amusing re-creations of actual Barbie dolls sauntering into white spaces or sitting at the end of a conference room table (the only BIDOC — Black, indigenous doll of color, so to speak), the movie can be wryly playful.” -- Lisa Kennedy, Variety 

Films

Black Barbie: A Documentary

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