‘…This film is about unlearning imposed standards and reclaiming our African identity — strand by strand...’— Kwaku Sikahene-Adarkwa, Director

After a lengthy gestation period, the documentary Crown or Class is finally making it onto screens this year.

Press release: ‘…Crown or Class’ is a Pan-African feature that follows two young African women — one in Belgium, the other in Ghana — whose journeys into natural hair care unfold into a powerful exploration of identity, beauty, and belonging. What begins as a personal choice becomes a wider reflection on how Eurocentric beauty standards continue to shape African women’s self-worth across continents.

Spanning Africa and its global diaspora, the film presents hair as more than aesthetics — revealing it as history, resistance, culture, and self-definition. Through intimate conversations, cultural reflection, and striking visuals, ‘Crown or Class’ gives voice to women reclaiming their natural hair as an act of pride, healing, and liberation.

Directed by Kwaku Sikahene-Adarkwa (Kaay DiFilmer), the documentary was filmed across Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Ghana, offering a layered Pan-African perspective beyond Western frameworks. ‘Crown or Class’ will premiere on the international festival circuit, followed by a VOD release and community screenings across Europe, Africa, and the global African diaspora…..’

For further information please visit the Crown or Class website.

…And from the Afropean.com archives, here’s an exclusive 2024 interview with the director.