A Star Reclaimed from Obscurity: ‘Donyale Luna: Supermodel’
Dream Cazzaniga, the daughter of Peggy Ann Freeman, or more commonly known as Donyale Luna, softly reads a portion of her mother’s writings: “Once upon a time, a little colored girl was born inside a goddess. With a heart made of dreams and a mind made of love, she took her long, skinny legs and came into this world, Earth.” Dream tends to the remaining fragments of her mother through these words. Luna’s journals provide her with a window into her mother’s character and outlook on life. The excerpt catapults the audience towards the beginnings of Dream’s mother, a time before she became known as Donyale Luna.
Donyale Luna: Supermodel (2023) is a documentary about an American model and actress during the late 1960s, generally referred to as “the first black supermodel.” The documentary focuses on several aspects of her life: her humble beginnings, her rise to fame, and the challenges she faced within the modeling industry. Donyale’s life is divided into five different chapters, each representing her time in a specific state or country. With a wealth of interview footage, archival footage, and journal entries, it explored the influence she had on the modeling and art industries as well as the lives of those who knew her. The documentary aims to shed light on the causes of the audience’s lack of familiarity with Luna, a fascinating perspective for a documentary to take.
The director of Donyale Luna: Supermodel, Nailah Jefferson, captures Donyale Luna in the same light as she was portrayed by photographers: ethereal and otherworldly. The carefully picked archival content shows the audience how captivating Donyale was and provides a brief peek into her personal life. Nailah took the time to carefully enthrall the audience, just as Donyale had done with the rest of the world. Not a single moment is dull.
The first chapter focuses on Donyale’s background, delving into her teenage years, which were scarred by bullying. She was teased for her slender build, her abnormal height , and her giant eyes. Peggy, who did not fit into the standard of beauty and was considered ugly, began to create a beautiful persona to escape her insecurities--- and thus Donyale was born. This chapter consists of interviews with Luna’s younger sister, Lillian Washington, and Luna’s childhood friend, Omar K. Boone. A common thread in the documentary was the insecurities she acquired from the bullying, which begs the question of whether Peggy created the Donyale persona to conceal her insecurities. Her newfound persona had a European accent and was multicultural, whereas Peggy was neither multicultural nor had a European accent.
Luna’s life would change when a photographer named David McCabe discovered her. He urged her to become a model and relocate to New York City. McCabe was one of the people interviewed for the documentary, and he recalled that Luna had lied about her racial background. He believes she did this to be more ‘hirable’ and not face as much racism in the industry.
The second chapter of the documentary begins after Luna takes McCabe’s advice and moves to New York. Within a few months, Luna was featured on the pages of fashion magazines. However, her success was shrouded in despair as the magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, ultimately decided against plastering her in their magazines due to the backlash of using a person of color in a whitewashed industry. It was such rejection that she decided to move to Europe, where they were kinder to people of color.
After moving to London, her career blossomed. She hung out with the rich and famous. She dated several celebrities, such as the lead guitarist for Rolling Stones, Brian Jones, and actor Klaus Kinski. Luna had found more acceptance in Europe than in the United States; however, this did not mean she was immune to racism.
The documentary included one heartbreaking account of racist decisions made by the editor-in-chief of American Vogue, Diana Vreeland, who refused to contract Luna. In her conversation with Richard Avendon, Diana explains her rejection of Luna by comparing the model to King Kong, an upsetting and vile segment demonstrating the malice and hatred Luna faced in her career. The scene reminds the audience of the systemic challenges Luna faced during her time as a model and the resilience she held.
Within each chapter of the documentary, each person interviewed gives a significant piece of Luna’s story. The interviewees were family members, friends, and even experts, providing many authentic voices into the documentary, elevating the film, and creating a clearer picture of who Donyale Luna was.
The documentary sheds light on a nearly forgotten figure in the modeling industry. Her mere presence was a pillar of change, and with it, she craved space for the models who would come after her. Donyale Luna: Supermodel ensures that her legacy is not left to fade into obscurity, but, instead, embraced for all she has done before her unfortunate death.
Nailah Jefferson directed a well-constructed documentary about a woman who rose to fame despite the many barriers she faced. Every aspect of the film was meticulously thought through. Each interviewee's insight added nuance to Luna’s character, painting her as a human dealing with difficult racist circumstances as opposed to a woman destined for stardom. It uplifted her to be more of a complex individual than an idol. The documentary accomplished its intended goal, brought attention to a significant figure in the modeling world, and showed the lives she touched along the way.
Donyale Luna: Supermodel celebrates Donyale’s accomplishments while acknowledging the challenges she faced. Nailah’s direction ensured Luna’s story would not only be heard but also felt. It leaves the audience with a profound feeling of appreciation for her contributions after learning and hearing what she had to overcome behind closed doors to achieve and maintain supermodel status. The documentary leaves them wanting to learn more about Donyale Luna and her impact on people of color in the industry.
