Indigenous Voices: Contemporary glimpse into authentic stories and history of the Indigenous People told through film. See films here.
For more information, contact: heather @ portlandfilm . org

ASSETS

IMAGES:

Shorts
Concrete 49
Respected by her people
Strong Hearts: An Indigenous Love Letter To My Sons
Rude Girl
BYkids: Against the Current

Features
MAMA IRENE, Healer of the Andes
Returning Home
Bring Her Home
Powerlands
Sedna, Empress of the Sea

Summaries

Concrete 49 – In 2021, there are approximately 30,000 people who identify as Native American or American Indian, currently living in New York City. This is three of those stories. Documentary Short. Directed by Justin Deegan. 10.23 min. USA. Oregon Premiere

Respected by Her People – The alarming rate of missing & murdered Indigenous women is no longer a secret. Throughout the United States, tribal communities fight against the stigma of victimization with a call to action & self preservation. The film focuses on how Nez Perce families work to protect the next generation and empower their choices. Documentary Short. Directed by Sonya Oberly. 14.21 min. USA. Oregon Premiere

Rude Girl – Oaklynn is a half Native American and white teenager dealing with identity issues who visits her grandpa Lee in the spiritual world called Summerland, only to realize she is a superhero who needs to believe in her powers. Set in current day and told in English and Zuni language, it blends living on an Indian reservation and in the city offering a glimpse into the urban Native and spiritual world, where a red-tailed hawk becomes her guide. Narrative Short. Directed by Joshua Zunie. 20 min. USA. US Premiere

Strong Hearts – Strong Hearts’, a short film by actor, writer and director Gary “Litefoot” Davis, filled with a father’s wisdom and indigenous world view, poetically expressed as a letter to his three sons. Through its raw vulnerable narration and evocative music, a message of strength, beauty and power is conveyed to these indigenous young men, imploring them to live a life of purpose. Shot on location at actual battle sites between Tribes and the U.S. military, historical happenings become teaching moments and majestic natural landscapes provide an epic visual backdrop for empowering heartfelt messages overflowing with a fathers love for his children. Documentary Shorts. Directed by Gary ‘Litefoot’ Davis. 11.36 min. USA. Oregon Premiere

BYkids: AGAINST THE CURRENT – Native American teen activist Daunnette Moniz-Reyome (age 17) shares her family’s journey to retain the sacred rituals and values of their culture in the wake of centuries of loss from disease, war and government policies. Documentary Short. Directed by Daunnette Moniz-Reyome. 27 min. USA. Portland Premiere

Mama Irene, Healer of the Anders – Mama Irene, Healer of the Andes, is the story of a remarkable 84 year old Shaman (Healer) from Peru who draws upon indigenous knowledge and traditions in danger of being lost forever. This film is not only a vital document of endangered wisdom; it is also a story about Women empowerment and a testament to living harmoniously with Mother Earth. Documentary Feature. Directed by Elisabeth Möhlmann & Bettina Ehrhardt. 71 min. USA. World Premiere
Bring Her Home – Bring Her Home follows three Indigenous women – an artist, an activist, and a politician – as they fight to vindicate and honor their missing and murdered relatives who have fallen victims to a growing epidemic across Indian country. Despite the lasting effects from historical trauma, each woman must search for healing while navigating racist systems that brought about this very crisis. Documentary Feature. Directed by Leya Hale. 56 min. USA. Festival Premiere

Powerlands – A young Navajo woman investigates displacement of Indigenous people in several countries, and devastation of the environment, caused by the same chemical companies that have exploited the land where she was born. On this personal and political journey she learns from Indigenous activists across three continents. Documentary Feature. Directed by Ivey-Camille Manybeads Tso. 75 min. USA. Festival Premiere

Returning Home – Returning Home follows Phyllis on a nation-wide education tour, while her family struggles to heal multigenerational wounds at home in Secwépemc territory.
In the midst of a global pandemic and the lowest salmon run in Canadian history, the film also explores the absence of salmon along the upper Fraser River, and how a multi-year fishing moratorium is tearing at the fabric of Secwépemc communities. By observing the trauma experienced by Phyllis and her family, Returning Home holds a mirror to the trauma experienced by the natural world, too. For the Secwépemc, healing people and healing the natural world are one and the same. Documentary Feature. Directed by Sean Stiller. 72 min. Canada. Oregon Premiere

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