( CNN ) -- If you want to get to know the real Chris Rock , you might want to strike up a conversation about hair . Follicle fascination : Chris Rock asks high students about their hair . The comedian spent nearly two years exploring the world of black hair for his documentary `` Good Hair , '' which made its debut at Sundance this year . The film , which Rock co-wrote and produced , takes a provocative look at the relationship African-Americans have with their hair . Rock , best known for his stand-up comedy and sitcom `` Everybody Hates Chris , '' says he 'd been mulling a movie about hair for a long time , but having daughters motivated him to finally get the project started . He tells CNN : `` All these guys I know , we have daughters -- and our daughters have these hair issues that blew our minds . '' They could n't figure out why their daughters wanted straight hair , and when Lola , one of his young daughters , asked him why she did n't have good hair , it just `` ignited something in me , '' Rock recalls . Narrated by Rock , the film explores black hair from a multitude of angles , from the booming $ 9 billion industry it generates to the science behind chemical relaxers that straighten hair . The comedian is known for his no-limits , confrontational style , but he took a more laid-back approach with `` Good Hair . '' `` A lot of people were just scared I was going to make fun of them , '' he says . But it 's a documentary so `` you 've got to let people talk . You let them do their thing . '' Rock managed to sit down with a variety of black celebrities , including actress Nia Long , poet Maya Angelou and the Rev . Al Sharpton , and question them about their hair . The movie uses Rock 's humor to draw attention to aspects of the black hair world that many members of the black community probably do n't even know about , says executive producer Nelson George . But one of the most charming aspects of the movie is its personal nature , says George , who like many members of the production team worked on the critically-acclaimed HBO series `` The Chris Rock Show . '' `` You really get an insight into who he is and his relationship with his daughters which I think is really central to the whole film , '' he tells CNN . His daughter 's inquiry started a journey that took Rock across the country . In the movie , he visits barbershops in Harlem , salons in Beverly Hills as well as the extravagant Bronner Bros . Hair Show in Atlanta , where stylists wield their shears in intense hair battles . In the documentary Rock even goes as far as India , which is where the hair from many weaves worn by African-American women actually comes from . While the movie focuses on the relationship African-Americans have with their hair , dissatisfaction with appearance is an issue that faces broader society . `` We live in this crazy world . It 's not just weaves , it 's boob jobs and Botox and nose jobs , '' Rock explains . The movie has a sense of seriousness , but does n't lose its humor . `` It plays as funny as any movie I 've ever done , '' Rock says . `` I mean if you just sat there and listened for laughs , it 's big bang laughs . ''
Chris Rock examines world of black hair in new documentary . Daughter 's inquiry into why she did n't have a boyfriend is answered by her mother. Movie offers intimate look at Rock , says executive producer Nelson George . Rock on the documentary : ` ` It plays as funny as any movie I 've ever done ''