Softer examines the demands of "softening" that are requested of Black women's bodies in society---from job prospects to romantic ones---be that in their voice, their manners, and, critically, their hair. The experimental short plays upon the grooming rituals of softening that are terrifyingly rough through a recreation of a permanent wave machine produced perm (popular in the 1930s-1950s). The short mediates on the historical ways in which Black women have tried to answer this demand on softness through respectable appearance and behavior.

Credits
Produced by MONO NO AWARE
Cast: Alexis Francis, Karissa Francis, & James Bennett II
Set Design: David Armacost, Jordan Bernier, Ayanna Dozier, and Elspeth Walker
Music: "Eleven's Sake" (c) 2008 by Nicolas Weise, Lars Scherzberg, and John Hughes

Development and scanning services provided by MONO NO AWARE
Color timed prints by Colorlab