Review of Bronx Princess
Bronx Princess is a documentary most 1st generation African immigrants can identify with. It tells the story of a young Ghanaian American who tries to straddle both worlds, while forging her own identity and independence. Rocky Otoo, a feisty 18-year old woman, has to contend with multiple cultures: a powerful mother who struggles to maintain control of her, as well as a busy school and social life. Moreover, she is intent on strengthening ties with Ghana, where her dad, a Ga Chief, resides.
“I’m so excited for this summer. I’m going to grow up and be independent for the first time in my life,” she proclaims, in anticipation of her summer trip to Ghana. She has spent the final year of high school putting up with her loving, yet stern, mother’s demands. Yaa, a strong Black Ghanaian woman with quirky sense of humor, does not fully understand her American-born daughter, who laughs in the face of custom and tradition. Rocky, on the other hand, wants to be free to find her own way. While she recognizes her Ghanaian connection, she’s also been in the Bronx, NY her whole life. Her socialization process is vastly different from her mom’s, and as a result they are often like two ships passing in the night.
The summer in Ghana represents a chance to spend more time with her father, and live the good life as the daughter, a.k.a. princess, of a well known and respected Chief. In a particularly funny scene she jokes with her father over the phone, claiming that as Ga royalty she is entitled to certain amenities, such as the best bed in the palace and police escort. “I want a Jacuzzi. You said you’re a chief I should get one,” she demands. Her mother, hanging out nearby, lets out a small laugh. She knows her daughter is in for a reality check. "Is she that beautiful that she can be saying those things?” dad playfully asks a few moments later, after Rocky has handed mom the phone. "You can say that again," she retorts, her voice tinged with pride.
However, in Accra, the good and cushy life Rocky had envisioned ends up being merely a pipe dream. As she becomes more familiar with dad’s stricter side, she comes to see her relationship with Yaa in a whole new light. After returning to the States, life at college also falls far short of her expectations. On her first trip home, she hungrily scarfs down her mom’s cooking, relieved to be reunited with her family. Yaa simply smiles lovingly, happy to have her daughter home once again.
Bronx Princess authentically conveys the identity conflict 1st generation immigrants typically experience. “I want young people who are first-generation American in their family to gain a more cohesive sense of identity from the film,” explains now 19-year-old Rocky Otoo in the April 4th edition of the Daily News. She is now a sophomore and gender studies major at Pennsylvania’s Dickinson College. “I would hope that the film will illuminate their internal struggles and show them that so many people experience the same feelings and that they are not alone,” she goes on to say in the same article. The 38 minute documentary, produced by filmmakers Yoni Brook and Musa, premiered to rave reviews last spring, and has since appeared in a number of film festivals around the world, including the NYC African Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival, Dokufest (the main documentary film festival in the Balkans), as well as various other venues in New York City and beyond.
Film Trailer
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