Page 6 - Capturing_Wild

Ethinicity on set
FROM lead Make up artist Kristen irwin hartley
Ithink every child has a special connection to the story of Peter Pan and the fantastical, magical world of Neverland. A place where children are
the boss, adventures and play are king, and there is absolutely no growing up.
Created in 1904, Peter Pan opened to rave reviews and delighted children across the country, and its story has been retold to children everywhere. Pirates, mermaids, fairies and flying children, what’s not to love?
With all the creative avenues there are to be had when retelling the magic of Peter Pan, one character has systematically been harder to pin down than all the others. Tiger Lily.
The princess of Neverland has become an archetype for the problematic racial insensitivity we see in everything from Instagram posts to movies. We have consistently seen actors of non-indigenous descent play the fierce female leader and have time and again seen costuming and makeup take Tiger Lily from a brave female leader to an almost savage sex symbol.
Barely there loin cloths, tattered rags covering the minimum, headresses in non-sensical beads and feathers, and makeup giving a very “off” tan with lines painted across the face for aesthetic. Nothing pointing to any actual tribe, and proving that the makeup/ hair and costume folks behind the traditional Tiger Lily character have failed in bringing this incredible character to life.
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NEVERLAND PROJECT
In Synergy Design Firm’s modern retelling of Neverland, this was a key focus. It was obvious from the start that Tiger Lily was a well thought out and much discussed character. All of the characters had modern hair, modern clothing, modern makeup, and Tiger Lily was to be no different.
It was intended that Tiger Lily was to not be showcased as just a fanciful mash-up of indigenous tribes, but that she was a descendent of native American leaders, and had a free spirit that led her back to Neverland.
Our actress was of actual Native American descent, which was first and foremost a must have for our character. In lieu of problematic headdresses, hairstylist Anne Sweeney gave her a crown of larger-than-life hair with braids to keep it out of her face while shooting, and makeup artist Kristen Hartley, held true to skin tone with no tanning or unnatural contouring to give the illusion of ethnicity. Hartley even went so far as