CMFH Massive Missives

Hey, a little joyful hope and inspiration never hurt anyone. Tonight’s program for the Native American Film Fest included films that encompassed that ideal.

Other films in the fest attack the problems of reservation life and treatment by the American government, so it was nice to have a night devoted to Natives who have found a source of pride in their heritage and are pursuing creative interests that envelope that background.

The first film was a five minute short, “First Stories: Patrick Ross,” directed by Ervin Chartrand. A very simple doc that allows a painter to tell of his artistic birth, it implements a slightly overlapping narration as the Ross creates a painting. He discovered his talent during times of solitude in prison and was guided by a mentor he met behind bars. Through his art he connected with his lost spirituality and learned to be at peace with a troubled life.

The second short was “Super Fly Filmmaking.” What a fantastic opportunity for any lucky kid! Pulled from all over the country with film talents of all ranges and a variety of racial backgrounds (about half Native American), these teens were invited to Seattle for a crash course in filmmaking and a mission: Make a film, from start to finish, in 36 hours. It would be completed by 6 a.m. Sunday morning and screened for the Seattle International Film Fest, no less, at 1 p.m. that same day.

Sherman Alexie (writer of Smoke Signals, playing Mar. 17) wrote a script for them to follow, "Father Coming Home," but in no way did he baby the participants. A poetic narration concerning a father who hits the bottle after a friend’s death, and the resulting relationship that degrades between himself and his son, the kids were given much leeway for interpretation. In fact, three out of four of the groups were not given the ending and were allowed to create their own resolution. The doc films the kids in action, and then displays one of the four films (tonight’s version was the by-the-script edition, which apparently was the least gory in regards to the death scene).

We were honored with the presence of Executive Director Tracy Rector of Longhouse Media, the company that creates these amazing experiences for Native youth. She informed us that this was just the beginning of a program (initially funded by her own credit cards) that plans to expand in order to gather more kids for this amazing chance at filmmaking.

The main feature was When Your Hands Are Tied, a wonderful, uplifting film about a broad array of artists who live on various Southwestern reservations. I had viewed this film earlier in order to write an article for The Desert Sun, but seeing it on the big screen really impressed upon me what is so wonderful about attending a film fest: the audience.

As a girl of mostly Scottish and German ancestry, what I know of Native American culture has come from college courses and books. I can watch a movie and appreciate the culture and the people involved, but it is a wholly different experience to hear the audience react to a film when much of the audience is a part of the culture represented. A quick shot of fry bread being made for the kids during "Super Fly" produced hoots, and discussion of grandparents being forced into boarding school during WYHAT produced saddened agreement.

I happened to sit in front of an entire row of a family very much involved in what was presented on the screen. Though usually my greatest peeve is people who talk during movies, I found myself eavesdropping on their comments in order to glean a little from their introspection.

Director Mia Bocella Hartle kindly stayed for a Q&A, which allowed for a very emotional response from the audience by Native Americans who had felt the pain of being shamed by their peers as children and were thrilled to view this movie which encouraged youth to be proud of their heritage and pursue their dreams. This festival is a very important time for them to educate outsiders like myself of not only their lifestyles and ceremony, but of their need for respect.

Entertainment draws people in, education yields respect, and in the end, we’re all a little better for a night at the movies.