About the film

The Mardi Gras Baby Dolls' masking tradition fearlessly explore themes of identity, sexual liberation and the freedom that carnival lends in New Orleans amongst Black women. The group pulls a thread throughout time to reclaim culture, tradition and freedom while challenging society's perception on how Black women are to act and exist in the world. They create an alternative social space.

Filmmaker

Vashni Balleste

About Reel South

Reel South SHORTS, the digital hive of the PBS series Reel South, showcases the best in Southern short-form and is built on partnerships with the South’s regional film festivals. Reel South reveals the South's proud yet complicated heritage, as told by a diversity of voices and perspectives, through the curation and distribution of feature-length and short documentaries. Reel South is a PBS documentary series co-produced by PBS North Carolina, South Carolina ETV, and Louisiana Public Broadcasting, and produced in association with Alabama Public Television, Arkansas PBS, Texas Tech Public Media, Texas PBS, Tennessee Public Television Council, and VPM. Reel South is a platform for and a service to non-fiction filmmakers in the American South working within the region’s tradition of storytelling.

Full Credits

Featuring

Cinnamon Black aka Voodoo Baby Doll Queen
Shannon Paxton aka Queen Chocolate
Kadrell Batiste aka Mahogany Doll
Shandricka Christine Clark
Creole Belle Baby Dolls
Wild Tchoupitoulas Baby Dolls
The Million Dollar Baby Dolls
Golddigger Baby Dolls
N'awlins D'awlins Baby Dolls
Tee Eva's Ernie K. Baby Dolls
Treme Baby Dolls
The Original Black Seminole Baby Dolls
Mahogany Blue Baby Dolls
Baby Doll Cherice Lockett
Shananda "Sunshine" Grays
Dr. Tia Smith
Shadricka Christine Clark
Kim "Cutie" Boute
Cora Lee Smith
Ravonda Grays
India Waters
Gary C. Collar Jr.
Don A. Aperwhite Jr.
Rollin J. Garcia Sr.
Toni Smith
E'Juan Butler
Lloyd Butler
Edward Butler Jr.
Mystic Seven Sisters
The Bones and Skeleton Gang

Director

Vashni Korin

Writer

Vashni Korin

Executive Producer

Jazzy McGilbert
Sean Gilgore-Han
A.J Rojas
Vashni Korin

Director of Photography

Calvin Blue Jr.

Editor

Kit Wells

Composer

Qur'an Shaheed
Angel Bat Daweed

Cinematographer

Zuri Obi
E.J. McCartney
Vashni Korin

Field Producer

Jaqui Brown

Keshante Horton

Emi Mwendapole

Archive Producer

Sophie Bennett

Editing Producer

Nikki Porter

Post Producer

Dinah Rodriguez

Sound Recordist

Chuck Hendy

Drone

Sean Kilgore Han
Abdul Anz

Edit House

Final Cut

Color House

Coloured Only

Colorist

Kya Lou

Sound Designer & Mixer

Swarvy

Archival Materials

Louisiana State Library
Tulane Historic New Orleans Collection

Special Thanks

Dr. Kim Marie Vaz
Park Pictures

In Memoriam

Kim "Cutie" Boute

Blog | Filmmaker Vashni Korin Finds Courage in Herself and Other Baby Dolls in 'You Can't Stop Spirit'

Filmmaker Vashni Korin introduces the audience to the Mardi Gras Baby Dolls, a group of empowered Black women playing upon New Orleans masking traditions, in her short film, "You Can't Stop Spirit."
Blog | Filmmaker Vashni Korin Finds Courage in Herself and Other Baby Dolls in 'You Can't Stop Spirit'