Chelsea Hawkins: It’s been over 15 years since Sherman Alexi’s iconic film Smoke Signals was released to critical fanfare. The all-indigenous production has been required viewing for anyone interested in Native directed-produced-acted cinema ever since. While Smoke Signals remains a classic, it is no longer the end-all-be-all of Native cinema, as over the last few years, there have been stunning releases within the community from North America to New Zealand.
A number of young indigenous directors are using their projects to employ fellow Native artists and promote continued Native cultural production. More importantly, the next generation of filmmakers are bringing to the silver screen the Native community’s stories, hopes and struggles in an insightful and personal way that we haven’t seen before.
Their stories are often dark, gritty and even difficult — confronting gender, politics, anti-colonialism, activism and cultural survival in a world that has oppressed and attempted to eliminate these populations through orchestrated violence and forced assimilation. But they’re also fantastical, beautiful and spirited, drawing attention to humanity even in the midst of terror and tragedy. More here.