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WIND RIVER | a film
Hell or High Water, meets Manchester By Sea, meets the tragedy that is the history of how the United States has treated the First Nations Peoples since the founding of our nation. This film is Written and Directed by Taylor Sheridan (and before you movie buffs jump on me, I wrote that first sentence before I knew that Sheridan also wrote 'Hell or High Water'). This film is brutal, moving and for me it was crazy emotional.
My partner, my bae, my TK; He is the movie buff in our relationship, mostly, he picks what we see on the big screen, he reads reviews and is always up on what we should see and how which reviewers felt about it. When I was informed that I would be seeing a movie highlighting Indigenous actors I didn't ask any questions, I just grabbed some popcorn and tagged along. Thank goodness I hadn't worn makeup or put my contacts in, I spent more than a third of the movie sobbing, at some points loudly, uncontrollably.
Hell or High Water, meets Manchester By Sea, meets the tragedy that is the history of how the United States has treated the First Nations Peoples since the founding of our nation. This film is Written and Directed by Taylor Sheridan (and before you movie buffs jump on me, I wrote that first sentence before I knew that Sheridan also wrote 'Hell or High Water'). This film is brutal, moving and for me it was crazy emotional.
My partner, my bae, my TK; He is the movie buff in our relationship, mostly, he picks what we see on the big screen, he reads reviews and is always up on what we should see and how which reviewers felt about it. When I was informed that I would be seeing a movie highlighting Indigenous actors I didn't ask any questions, I just grabbed some popcorn and tagged along. Thank goodness I hadn't worn makeup or put my contacts in, I spent more than a third of the movie sobbing, at some points loudly, uncontrollably.
THE UN-HOLLYWOOD REALITY OF THE SITUATION:
So there is a dark story here, darker than murder, darker than life on a reservation. It is the story of Native Women, a story was so many painful prongs that it is hard for me to even begin to write something that I might consider adequate. But what is inadequate is allowing our country to continue living in a reality that does not acknowledge how bleak things really are for this population.
- 1 in 3 Indigenous women will be raped in her lifetime
- 3 in 5 will be physically assaulted
- twice as likely to be stalked as other women
- NATIVE WOMEN ARE MURDERED AT TEN TIMES THE NATIONAL AVERAGE
READ MORE
This moving film uses one story, one fictional example to depict the disturbing norm that can easily define what it's like to live in the body of a Native American woman. Parts are hard to watch, parts are filled with action, and some of it is sweet and hopeful. The fact that the film is not being marketed as a social issues film, as a progressive attention grabber is great. I honestly thought it was just a thriller and it turned out being about this issue that is so close to my heart. But on another hand a lot of people are going to go into this movie having no prior knowledge of this plight and that is amazing. People are going to see this movie who didn't know their heart was going to explode with pain and they just might be the exact people that need a push to build that empathy.
- 1 in 3 Indigenous women will be raped in her lifetime
- 3 in 5 will be physically assaulted
- twice as likely to be stalked as other women
- NATIVE WOMEN ARE MURDERED AT TEN TIMES THE NATIONAL AVERAGE
READ MORE
This moving film uses one story, one fictional example to depict the disturbing norm that can easily define what it's like to live in the body of a Native American woman. Parts are hard to watch, parts are filled with action, and some of it is sweet and hopeful. The fact that the film is not being marketed as a social issues film, as a progressive attention grabber is great. I honestly thought it was just a thriller and it turned out being about this issue that is so close to my heart. But on another hand a lot of people are going to go into this movie having no prior knowledge of this plight and that is amazing. People are going to see this movie who didn't know their heart was going to explode with pain and they just might be the exact people that need a push to build that empathy.
Nerdy movie/money note: WIND RIVER has already made more money than Sheridan's 'Hell or High Water' which was one of my top 3 favorite movies from 2016. SEE THEM BOTH, seriously!
About half way through the movie I figured out who she was, who the FBI agent was played by, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen's sister, it must have been her adorable nose! Elizabeth Olsen plays a young FBI agent from the South who just happens to be in the area when this murder takes place. I really enjoyed watching Olsen and Renner embody this story, their characters establish an unexpected respectful bond within this extremely trying situation.
READ MORE:
-- Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women – Why Not to Dress as Pocahottie for Halloween - MUST READ.
- FUTURES WITHOUT VIOLENCE - The Facts on Violence Against American Indian/Alaskan Native Women - seriously heavy stuff.
- Indigenous people face higher rates of violence in N.L., statistics show
- Savanna's Act aims to bring justice for missing, murdered Native American women - Senators response to the lack of stats highlighted in the film
- FUTURES WITHOUT VIOLENCE - The Facts on Violence Against American Indian/Alaskan Native Women - seriously heavy stuff.
- Indigenous people face higher rates of violence in N.L., statistics show
- Savanna's Act aims to bring justice for missing, murdered Native American women - Senators response to the lack of stats highlighted in the film
SEE THIS MOVIE, encourage others to see it. Educate yourself further on the issue AND THE SOLUTIONS! This movie could just be a movie, but I urge you to let the story sink into your heart. If you feel called to not just let it be a movie you see and then never thinking about again, push yourself further and let the emotion drive you to a new place. Maybe you could just talk about it a lot, make sure that everyone you know now knows this story. Maybe you could donate to organizations like FRIENDS OF PINE RIDGE, or buy something from MY SISTER (which is helping to end Sex Trafficking). Read about the work of NACB, or Mending the Sacred Hoop, or Indian Law Resource Center. There are many ways to help and by seeing this movie you are opening your heart and mind up to a new perspective that could forever change your outlook and your actions.
xoxox, katia
xoxox, katia
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