tiff welcomes Chris Rock to its Maverick series. New documentary starring Rock, Good Hair, set for 3 public screenings during the 2009 TIFF festival….

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) welcomes a new documentary featuring the celebrated Comedian and Actor Chris Rock to its 2009 festival. Chris Rock will also be participating in TIFF’s ever-popular Mavericks series taking place on Monday 14th September.

What more can be said about black people and their hair? Everything.!

Acting as African America’s Michael Moore, Rock goes front and centre in this investigative documentary that is both hilarious and surprisingly informative. It began with an innocent question from his young daughter: “Daddy, how come I don’t have good hair?” In black families “good” hair means straight hair, and it’s been the source of pain and envy ever since African slaves first digested European beauty standards. Today, women on limited incomes pay thousands of dollars a year to maintain a straight-hair weave – or expect their men to pay for them.

Rock is bemused as he goes from salon to street corner to industrial giant, but he asks tough, smart questions. Aided by both ordinary people and celebrities – actress Nia Long, author Maya Angelou – he aims to bring common sense to an arena ruled by vanity and warped custom. Still, there’s no denying the incredible creative ferment brought on by this desire to change and improve one’s hair. Visiting an annual contest for black hair stylists, Rock watches as competitors whip up coiffures that seem straight out of science fiction.

For more information please check out the TIFF website following the link below: http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/films/goodhair

For more information on Chris Rock’s appearance at the TIFF Mavericks Series please follow this link below:

http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/films/afternoonwithchrisro