SUNDANCE INDIGENOUS SHORTS
CinéSPEAK and the Philadelphia Film Society are proud to present a collection of Indigenous short films from the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. A partnership between Sundance Institute’s Indigenous Program and Art House Convergence, this collaboration brings six Indigenous shorts from Sundance Institute Fellows to art house theaters in North America during November’s annual celebration of National Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month.
The screening will be followed by a discussion moderated by leaders from We Are the Seeds and Indigenous 215.
ABOUT THE FILMS:
Birds in the Earth (11 minutes), Marja Helander (Sámi)
Examining the deeper questions of the ownership of the Sami land through the ballet performances of two young dancers.
Fainting Spells (10 minutes), Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk/Pechanga Band of Luiseño)
Told through recollections of youth, learning, lore, and departure, this is an imagined myth for the Indian pipe plant used by the Ho-Chunk to revive those who have fainted.
Jáaji Approx. (8 minutes), Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk/Pechanga Band of Luiseño)
Against landscapes that the artist and his father traversed, audio of the father in the Ho-Chunk language is transcribed using the International Phonetic Alphabet, which tapers off, narrowing the distance between recorder and recordings, new and traditional, memory and song.
My Father’s Tools (7 minutes), Heather Condo (Mi’gmaq)
Stephen continues producing traditional baskets to honor his father and thus finds peace in his studio as he connects with the man who taught him the craft.
Throat Singing in Kangirsuk (4 minutes), Eva Kaukai (Inuit) and Manon Chamberland (Inuit)
Eva and Manon practice the art of throat singing in the small village of Kangirsuk, in their native Arctic land. Interspliced with footage of the four seasons of Kangirsuk by Johnny Nassak.
Shiinaab Part II (8 minutes), Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr. (Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa Indians)
A look at Ojibwe ideas surrounding the death process as a young man strives to honor his late father.
ABOUT WE ARE THE SEEDS:
We Are the Seeds is committed to uplifting and centering Indigenous voices through the arts. Seeds was founded by a team of Indigenous women who are dedicated to educating the world about art and culture as it relates to understanding Indigenous people, the history of (what is now called) the United States, and who we all are as American people today. The organization produces cultural events that feature fine art, music, dance, fashion, literary, and culinary art. Additionally, Seeds hosts interactive art programs and workshops that focus on educating and empowering the youth.
LEARN MORE: www.wearetheseeds.org/
ABOUT INDIGENOUS 215:
We are a group of Indigenous people of the western hemisphere living in the greater Philadelphia who seek to bring together all of the Indigenous peoples from the region. We seek to foster community, promote awareness and education of Indigenous history and contemporary communities, and to support the urgent struggles for Indigenous rights, sovereignty, and self determination in Philadelphia.
LEARN MORE: https://www.facebook.com/indigenous215/
ABOUT CINÉSPEAK:
We are a Philadelphia-based mobile cinema organization that engages diverse audiences through our independent, repertory and foreign film programming; creating space and centering the stories of individuals and communities that are often underrepresented in mainstream cinema. We promote community togetherness and global understanding by engaging film enthusiasts while cultivating the next generation of discerning moviegoers; encouraging people to demand social justice both on-screen and throughout society.
LEARN MORE: www.cineSPEAK.org