Crown or Class is a new Pan-African feature documentary that confronts, head on, a reality faced by black people in African especially girls: the pressure — and often coercion — to cut their natural hair in the name of conformity, discipline, and beauty standards rooted in colonial influence.
The film follows two young African women, one based in Ghana and the other in Belgium, whose decisions to embrace their natural hair open up a deeper conversation about identity, self-worth, and belonging. What starts as a personal journey evolves into a powerful exploration of how Eurocentric beauty ideals continue to shape perceptions of African femininity both on the continent and in the diaspora. Through intimate storytelling, cultural reflection, and striking visuals, Crown or Class positions hair not as mere aesthetics, but as history, resistance, and self-definition.
Shot across Ghana, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom, the documentary offers a layered Pan-African perspective that moves beyond Western narratives and centers African voices reclaiming pride in their natural selves.
The film is set to premiere on the international festival circuit, followed by a strategic VOD release and curated community screenings across Africa, Europe, and the global African diaspora.
Crown or Class is a production of Wuku Studios, based in Belgium, run by filmmaker Kwaku Sikahene-Adarkwa (Kaay DiFilmer) alongside Wusuwaah, with the support of associate producers Noah Komla Sedode and Jonathan Mensah. The official trailer is below.
