2008 Film Synopses

2008 FESTIVAL OF NATIVE FILM & CULTURE

 
FOUR SHEETS TO THE WIND (USA, Drama, 84 Minutes)
Beautifully crafted and set under the gorgeous Oklahoma skies, this poignant and wryly humorous story of familial healing, reunification and transformation following the death of one family’s patriarch ultimately emerges as an eloquent testament to the power of emotional openness, courage based in love and the modern traditions of the Indian experience.  Sterlin Harjo, writer/director, Cody Lightning, Jeri Arredondo, Tamara Podemski, Laura Bailey, Richard Ray Whitman, Christian Dane, Mike Randleman, star.

CLOUDBREAKER (Canada, Drama, 15 Minutes)
As the seasons change, a young boy goes to dangerous lengths to transform himself.  If he is successful, he will be able to move the very clouds in the sky; if he fails, the results could be fatal.  Adam Garnet Jones, Director.

A PLACE BETWEEN:  THE STORY OF AN ADOPTION (Canada, Documentary, 74 Minutes)
Emotionally driven personal documentary where one man’s reconciliation between biological and adoptive families of different ethnicities and cultures leads to a rigorous re-awakening of how to deal with the loss of a traditional Native identity.  Curtis Kaltenbaugh, Director.

RECLAIMING OUR CHILDREN:  A STORY OF THE INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT (USA, Short Documentary, 28 Minutes)
Prior to 1978, Indian children were being placed in foster care at a national rate 10 to 20 times higher than non-Native children.  This searing short documentary takes an in depth look at the Child Welfare System, the emergence of the Indian Child Welfare Act and the laws that worked against it which denied Indian children access to thier Native rights.  Marcella Ernest, Director.

MARIA TALLCHIEF (USA, Documentary, 57 Minutes)
Accomplished biography of the legendary Native American ballerina who began dance lessons at age four in Oklahoma, left her Osage Indian Community shortly there after to find stardom in the Big Apple and later became near immortal by helping to establish the New York City Ballet while serving as the muse for her husband/choreographer, George Balanchine (The Nutcracker).  Sandra Osawa, Director.

HAWAIKII (New Zealand, Drama, 11 Minutes)
Delicate and beautifully rendered story of a father and a daughter as they take their first steps into a foreign world.

BACK SEAT (Australia, Drama, 7 Minutes)
Impressionistically design tale of the confusing experiences a young foster child has upon meeting her biological family for the first time.

HERDSWOMAN (Sweden, Documentary, 58 Minutes) – North American Premiere!
Compelling documentary of Aina, Elisabeth and Lisa, three Sami herdswomen of different generations who are powerfully determined to continue living traditional lives and practicing their ancient right to access reindeer pastureland in Sweden.  Kine Boman, Director.

AMY GOES TO WADJEMUP ISLAND (Australia, Drama, 9 Minutes)
When seven-year-old Amy visits Wadjemup Island for a holiday, she discovers a magical way of connecting with indigenous animals.  Denise Groves,Director.

ATI-WIHCASIN (IT'S GETTING EASIER) (Canada, Short documetnary, 7 minutes)
A Cree Elder celebrates her life through the significant changes she has witnessed during her first vigorous 80 years.  Tessa Desnomie, Director.

TKARONTO (Canada, Drama, 105 Minutes) - United States Premier!
A dramatically rich exploration into the desire for a more authentic Native identity erupts when an unexpected emotional connection grows between a married Métis writer and a married Anishnabe painter.  Shane Belcourt, writer/director, Melanie McLaren, Duane Murray, Lorne Cardinal and Cheri Maracle, star.

FISH (USA, Dramady, 5 Minutes)
Two urban Indian teens discover each other through skateboarding, fish, hot chicken up the street and a little magic.  A Longhouse Media Youth Project.

KILLER WHALE AND CROCODILE (Canada/Papua New Guinea, Documentary, 48 Minutes)
Captivating documentary feature following two artists, one from British Columbia and one from Papua New Guinea, as they journey to each other's home countries for a vibrant cultural exchange of traditional art making processes.  Peter Campbell, Director.

WEAVING WORLDS (USA, Documentary, 59 Minutes) - West Coast Premier!
The intricate relationships between Navajo rug weavers, reservation traders and the delicate balance between maintaining cultural traditions, economic survival and artistic validation are examined in this fascinating documentary which highlights Navajo tales of "how the West was spun."  Bennie Klain, Director.

OUR LAND, OUR LIFE (USA, Documentary, 74 Minutes)
Eloquent and visually striking documentary portrait of Carrie and Mary Dann, two elderly Shoshone sisters, whose thirty-year battle with U.S. government over the rights to their own land has taken them to the Supreme Court...and beyond.  George Gage, Beth Gage, Directors.

WRITING THE LAND (Canada, Short Documentary, 8 Minutes)
Visually expressive short of Musqueam Elder Larry Grant reveals loss and eventual reunion with his heritage, land and language.  Kevin Lee Burton, Director.

MISS NAVAJO (USA, Documentary, 60 Minutes)
The design of the conventional "beauty contest" is completely subverted in this fascinating behind the scenes documentary focused on the crowning of "Miss Navajo" where contestants are judged on their inner beauty, how fluent they are in Navajo and their proficiency in the skills essential to daily, traditional tribal life: frying-bread, rug weaving and sheep butchering.  Billy Luter, Director.

PAGEANT (USA, Drama, 6 Minutes)
A former contestant of a Miss Tribal Nations pageant tries to prep and steer her daughter toward a "victory."  Sonya Oberly, Director.

NANA (Australia, Short Documentary, 7 Minutes)
A young girl tells the charming AND surprising story of her grandmother's life.  Warwick Tornton, Director.

WATER FLOWING TOGETHER (USA, Documentary, 77 Minutes)
This candid, intimate portrait of ballet great, Jock Soto, follows one of the most recognizable and influential dancers of the American Stage, from his early roots on a remote Arizona reservation, through a career filled with triumphant performances, to his tremendously emotional retirement from the New York City Ballet at age 40, in 2005.  Gwendolen Cates, Director.

RACCOON AND CRAWFISH (USA, Animation, 8 Minutes)
A hungry raccoon searches for food and finds a crawfish on a quest for glory.  Their battle will decide the fate between an ego full of pride and a belly full of food.  Based on an ancient Oneida legend.  Dale Rood, Director.