WHY ARE PERIOD PIECES SO WHITE?
Written by Ani Tonoyan It’s Time We Stop White Washing Our Movies Whether you fantasize about being swept off your feet in a full length ball gown or are a history buff with a taste for drama, period pieces are the perfect escapist romance. Period pieces have been a staple of the film industry since the beginning of the 20th century, giving viewers an opportunity to disconnect from the current era and subsequent problems and a feeling of comfort and nostalgia. However, as Hollywood strives to achieve inclusivity, this genre should not be exempt from the movement to include diverse stories. While Little Women and Pride and Prejudice are magnificent films, it’s time to create more period dramas that are inclusive to BIPOC and queer women. There are already countless period pieces with majority white cast because: white casting directors in this genre tend to limit representation to keep the pieces “historically accurate.” At a Creative Industries Federation event, David Oyelowo, star of the Martin Luther King historical drama Selma, expressed his frustrations with the casting of UK period dramas: “Look at the beautiful buildings in London – the blood of my ancestors [is] in those bricks.
Why is that story not being told when we love a period drama? It doesn’t make any sense. Black people did not turn up in the UK at Windrush.” BIPOC have always existed in every part of the globe. Period pieces being majority white is by design to avoid the grim realities of marginalized peoples who were either brought to Europe and the Americas through the slave trade or systematically murdered for existing in North America first. When these atrocities are addressed, it is usually through a white savior’s perspective (Greenbook, The Help) or handled with little regard for the minorities themselves. Though they claim to be aiming to achieve historical accuracy, filmmakers disregard obstacles faced by minority groups to avoid the discomfort of racism. While it may be uncomfortable to see depictions of brutality and violence toward racial minorities on screen, it’s important to acknowledge the historical context of issues like racism and slavery in period pieces.
