Billy Luther’s new coming-of-age film shows characters grappling with city life juxtaposed against the reservation.
Jason Asenap
Posted inArticles
A bumpy, interesting ride in ‘The Unknown Country’
The film’s exploration of ‘Middle America’ is at its best when it lets Lily Gladstone take the wheel.
Posted inOctober 1, 2021: In The Graces of Grasses
The time of the Indigenous critic has arrived
Now that the industry is finally greenlighting Indigenous films and TV, Indigenous critics ought to lead the conversation.
Posted inAugust 1, 2021: A Mega-Dairy Comes to the Desert
The new Indigenous TV series coming your way
‘Reservation Dogs’ is the latest product of an exciting new era of Native self-representation.
Posted inApril 1, 2021: Holding Fast
‘Wild Indian’ is much more than just an Indigenous film
Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr.’s new picture pushes Indigenous cinema into the realm of the thriller genre, but does it go far enough?
Posted inArticles
‘Love and Fury’ documents Indigenous artists at the vanguard
Sterlin Harjo’s latest film is a fascinating glimpse inside the minds of various Indigenous artists around the nation.
Posted inArticles
Indigenous people face down zombies and win in ‘Blood Quantum’
Jeff Barnaby’s latest film speaks to Indigenous futurism and our new COVID-19 reality.
Posted inArticles
How an Indigenous filmmaker is challenging narratives and boundaries
Adam Piron’s film collective, COUSIN, pushes the needle in the Indigenous film ecosystem.
Posted inDecember 9, 2019: Crossing to Safety
Not all Indigenous cinema needs to be serious
‘The Incredible 25th Year of Mitzi Bearclaw’ is an entertaining tale about a millennial Indigenous woman returning home.
Posted inOctober 28, 2019: Where Hunting Still Has Meaning
‘Smoke Signals’ was needed, but it doesn’t hold up
The seminal film, while important for finally having Native representation, relied on stereotypes.
Posted inSeptember 16, 2019: "We can either wait on Mother Nature – or we can give it a shot ourselves."
A Maori filmmaker and the fight for proper Indigenous narratives
Hepi Mita offers a fascinating look at his mother’s life in ‘Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen.’
Posted inJune 24, 2019: Losing Lake Coeur d'Alene
No happy ending in ‘The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open’
The new film is a character study of two Indigenous women developing a rocky friendship in real time.
Posted inJune 10, 2019: 'None of this happened the way you think it did'
Tantoo Cardinal shines in the new film ‘Falls Around Her’
Darlene Naponse and Tantoo Cardinal team up to create a fascinating study of a First Nations musician who leaves her career behind.
Posted inApril 15, 2019: Scene of the Crime
Kiowa writer N. Scott Momaday finally gets the film he deserves
Jeffrey Palmer gives us a glimpse of the Indigenous literary giant in ‘Words from a Bear.’
Posted inFebruary 4, 2019: Nizhoni Girls
The making of a desert surf rock band
Meet the Nizhóní Girls on the road to stardom.
Posted inNovember 26, 2018: Follow the fish
Where the wild things are
The new Haida film Sgaawaay K’uuna is as far from Hollywood as can be – and that’s its greatest strength.
Posted inSeptember 17, 2018: The Pioneer of Ruin
How Native filmmakers are restoring cinematic narratives
Indigenous film festivals showcase Native stories, but more support is needed to reach mainstream audiences.
Posted inMay 14, 2018: Death in the Alpine
How do we honor New Mexico’s colorful past
… without celebrating colonialism’s violence?
Posted inArticles
A Navajo musician’s quest to spread jazz across the Nation
After gaining international fame, Delbert Anderson and his ensemble bring their music home.
Posted inOctober 30, 2017: The Changing Face of Woods Work
Why do white writers keep making films about Indian Country?
Try as they might, two new films can’t escape old tropes.