Monday, August 3, 1998
Native American writers tackle hostile film scene
ON-CAMPUS: Sundance workshop fights against prejudices,
stereotypes
By Laura Noguera
Daily Bruin Staff
A generation of pop culture-bred filmgoers knew Native Americans
as one-dimensional foils to pioneering heroes, portrayed at
extremes of bloodthirsty trickiness or stoicism. Years of political
correctness later, a partnership of Native Americans is trying to
debunk the stereotypes and replace them with cinematic truth.
"It’s been Hollywood’s hardest struggle to let go of that
romanticized ‘wind in his hair warrior on the horse’ kind of
character," says John Proudstar, a fellow from Arizona. "We have a
contemporary story that is just as compelling."
A few Native Americans are making ground-breaking achievements
by putting themselves behind and in front of the camera, and they
are eager to help others do so, too.
In a collaboration between the Sundance Institute and UCLA’s
American Indian Studies Department, the first annual American
Indian Sundance Screenwriters Workshop brought in United States and
Canadian fellows, chosen because of their writing talents.
They participated in a two-week program focusing on enhancing
those skills.
"The thing that is most crucially needed in the Native American
community is writers," says Hanay Gieogamah, a member of Sundance’s
Native American Advisory Board. "We need writers to put the vision
down on paper."
That vision is to increase the number of Native Americans
involved in cinema. Many talented Native Americans attended the
workshop, as well as speakers like "Mi Vida Loca" director, Allison
Anders.
"(The workshop) is the one thing that we were lacking and that’s
unification and being able to network amongst each other," says
Proudstar, "I mean, how are you supposed to network among people
you don’t know exist?"
The workshop’s ultimate goal is for Native Americans to make
movies about Native Americans, destroying the myths that Hollywood
has created.
One film that is setting the record straight is "Smoke Signals,"
the first film fully created by and concerning Native Americans to
have a major distribution.
"Acting and documentary making have been around for awhile,"
Director Jays Chris Eyre says. "But as far as accessing the medium
of the time with narrative feature film, there hasn’t been that
voice."
Since the Sundance Film Festival in January, "Smoke Signals" is
making its mark, receiving national distribution and excellent
reviews, within the Native American community as well as the
general American public.
"’Smoke Signals’ has opened the door for others," Gieogamah
says. "We want others, not just ‘Smoke Signals’, to come now."
Now with the inspiration and help from Sundance, there are
higher hopes in the progression of Native American cinema. "Smoke
Signals" director, Chris Eyre, plans to do another Native American
film, but feels that first he must establish himself as a director
and work closely with a large studio company.
Right now it seems that the biggest setback to Native American
cinema’s progression is lack of funding. In the past, major studios
neglected many projects featuring Native Americans and many do not
expect that to change.
"(The film industry) is about money," Eyre says with a chuckle.
"If you can make a good movie at the same time, that’s great."
On July 29, the program had its closing dinner for the year,
featuring some of the Native American participants’ poetry and
music.
The final words gave the leaving fellows an optimistic outlook
on the progress that the Native America community is making in all
the arts.
The program’s directors feel that the two weeks were a success
and plan to hold the workshop again next year.
"It gave ten good writers the chance to perfect the language of
screen writing," says Greg Sarris, a workshop coordinator. "Now
we’re going to keep on that road that we’ve been on."
Photo courtesy of PATIL ARMENIAN
As with many Native American artists, Joy Harjo receives support
through the Sundance Institute to write her screenplay.