CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Oscar-winning filmmaker and Chicago native Matthew A. Cherry screened his animated short film “Hair Love” at Macy's on State Street Thursday as part of Black History Month.
The story centers around the relationship between a father, his daughter, and her hair.
"She loves her hair. She got it from her mom," Cherry said.
Making his debut in animated film, Cherry wrote and directed the short. He said he was inspired by social media.
"I came across all these incredible viral videos of black dads that were doing their daughters' hair, and if you ever needed a bigger sign from god, this is it," he said. "I launched a Kickstarter in July of 2017, all the way to the Oscars."
He also said the film addresses a major issue in mainstream media: representation.
"Our love needs to be normalized, our hair needs to be normalized," Cherry said.
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