HerStory: Revelations

Seventy odd years after slavery a little girl is taken from her family and delivered to a tyrant who lives near the bayous of the Mississippi river. Keeping his family traditions alive he presents his son with a gift; she is only four years old. After years in captivity, and living in that little room at the back of the house, one of her tormentors’ comes into her room where he brutally beats and savagely rapes her, yet she survives. After her physical wounds heal she is told she must leave. Not knowing anything about the outside world she wanders the woods until she comes across a little one room cabin that seems to have been left there, just for her. As time passes she finds herself sick and alone, and within a few months she gives birth to her daughter, Lillian. When the girl starts talking she names her mother, Mema. They finally leave the woods and after walking for several days find themselves in the city of New Orleans. While the move is good for Mema, Lillian’s misery follows her wherever she goes. Eventually, the abuse Mema suffered as a child causes her to have serious issues: anger, depression, trust, fear, and a general disconnection from the world. Mema passes these traits to her daughter who struggles to find her own way by learning from the past, living in the present and looking forward to the future.