This is the Year That Is…Who Says There Ain’t No Good Native Cinema? (Not Me)
October 27th, 2006 by Carole LevineMaybe it’s not nice. But I’m gloating right now.
This is for you, dear cynics. All of you, each and every one, who say there are no quality Native produced films. This is for you, dear cynics, who dismissively pass off such enthusiasm as naïve and snort that an audience doesn’t exist for Indigenous cinema—after all, who cares about Indians if they aren’t carrying tomahawks?
You’re wrong. Here’s proof.
The film festival season is in full throttle. Festivals, festivals, festivals: the well funded and well publicized, the grass-root, college-run and those teeming with glitterati. Take a look. Carefully.
What do you see?
Movies. Native movies. Lots and lots and lots of Native movies. Short, long, drama, comedy, television, documentary. And more to come.
Take a gander at the lineup for the upcoming American Indian Film Festival. Some pretty damn good productions from some pretty damn good filmmakers starring some pretty damn good actors, many just gaining traction and developing their talent. Ready for a sampling? How about Zacharias Kunuk’s latest, The Journals of Knud Rasmussen, or Good Night Irene by Sterlin Harjo? If you haven’t heard of the quirky comedy Expiration Date, you will; lead actor Robert Guthrie’s performance is a standout.
For a dose of real-life drama, One Dead Indian, UnNatural and Accidental and Indian Summer: The Oka Crisis, all from our Canadian cousins. Also from Canada, the powerful documentary Gang Aftermath and feel-good story Clean Fight. Coming up, NativeVue will be featuring the short film, Fifteen, produced, written and starring teenagers from Longhouse Media/Native Lens. Congrats to Tracy Rector and her young film artists for earning a spot on this year’s AIFF lineup. And just in time for the holidays, you will absolutely love the awesome video illustrations in Gary Robinson’s A Native American Night Before Christmas.
There’s plenty more films readying their cinematic debut after the first of the year…Imprint and California Indian, both due for release this January; Mile Post 398 from Navajo filmmaker Shonie Da La Rosa; the upcoming Canadian television series Moose TV, and others in varying degrees of production like Older Than America, Drew Hayden Taylor’s televison pilot Mixed Blessings and A Life Less Empty by Rueben Martell.
And guess what?
Nary a tomahawk to be found. Anywhere.
Yeah, the major studios and networks still are firmly planted in teepees; but they will soon be smoked out by real Indians telling their own stories their own way. Authentic, contemporary, and blissfully diverse in voice and perspective. Just like real Indians.
That’s worth gloating about.
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NativeVue is continuing its gloatfest to let you know we will be featuring many of these films and filmmakers in coming weeks including Fifteen and Native Lens, Shonie De La Rosa, A Native Night Before Christmas, Imprint, UnNatural and Accidental, One Dead Indian, Older Than America, Moose TV, Expiration Date, and Drew Hayden Taylor. Just for starters….:)
…To keep you further informed and gleefully happy, don’t forget to check out our articles about Tim Ramos, Rueben Martell, and Francis Campbell, producer of Gang Aftermath.
