“Pariah” director Dee Rees: The catharsis of coming out

In a Salon exclusive, the woman behind one of the most buzzed-about films of the year tells her inspiring story

Published December 26, 2011 3:00PM (EST)

The film “Pariah” is a contemporary drama about a 17-year-old African-American woman coming to grips with her identity as a lesbian. The film is semi-autobiographical, loosely based on writer-director Dee Rees’ experience, which echoes in the struggle of her lead character, Alike (pronounced ah-lee-kay) to become comfortable with her sexuality.

Check out our interview with Dee Rees below.

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Click here to see the trailer for “Pariah.”


By Quincy McCoy

Quincy McCoy is Chief of Operations for Salon Studio at Salon.

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