In the past, Chris Rock has joked about how he is determined to keep his young daughters “off the pole” or away from working in strip clubs. But in his new film, Good Hair, he talks of a moment that caused him a different type of fatherly concern. Said Rock, “One day, one of my daughters came to me crying and saying, ‘Daddy, why don’t I have good hair?’ ”

The question reignited interest in an idea that had struck Rock 15 years ago at a convention in Atlanta revolving around black hair fashions and the lengths black women with kinky hair go to for “good” or straight hair similar to that of white women.

“I instantly thought, ‘Oh my God, there’s a movie in this,’” Rock explained. He’s finally realised that vision with Good Hair, a feature documentary that dives headfirst into the subject. Rock visits beauty salons and barber shops, hair manufacturers and wig merchants, exploring how the preoccupation with “good” hair has affected the image, self-esteem and sexual relations of black people, especially females.

Good Hair does more than simply provide a social and cultural examination of black hair. It also provides Rock with a film vehicle that effectively showcases his comic prowess, a goal that has proved largely elusive in films such as I Think I Love My Wife, Down to Earth and Bad Company. Interacting with salon customers, hair dealers and industry executives presents him as a more compelling film presence than his fictional personas. “I hope people see that I can be funny in a movie,” he said.

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