John Trudell
Last month, I went with some friends to a showing of Trudell, introduced by director Heather Rae. The film was preceded by the music video for “Time Dreams,” a collaborative effort between the Pines and John Trudell. The night was meant to be culturally enriching and it most definitely was. The night commenced with a chant from local First Nation peoples, the chant sounded beautiful though I had no idea what they were saying. The thing that really struck me was, of course, the films themselves.
I had of course heard John Trudell’s work and heard his words, but in combination with the images in the music video, the documentary had a new effect on me. The film was succeeded by an exchange amongst the tribute video creator Missy Whiteman, John Trudell’s daughter Ricarda Star Trudell, and the filmmaker Heather Rae. After the interchange amongst the speakers, a man told the audience how they could help with First Nation goals, in particular he brought up a mission they are going on to the Vatican. The purpose of the trip is to remove papal bulls justifying degradation of Native Americans and minorities in general, as they continue to find their way into legislation today.
Read more here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pope-francis-doctrine-of-discovery_us_56058eb9e4b0dd8503076c17
Everything about this event was done in matter adherent to various Indigenous customs, from the opening chant, to the subversive filmmaking, to the conversational ending. There is an article by authors Fernando Solanas and Octavio Getting entitled, “Toward a Third Cinema,” wherein the authors discuss this idea of cinema that opposes first cinema and goes beyond second cinema. First cinema is the predominant way of filmmaking, think mainstream. Second cinema is included in and amongst films that seek to better a situation through intellectual dissemination of dissenting voices against the actions of a hegemonic class within a given society. Third cinema is an interactive call to arms that opposes first cinema and surpasses secondary cinema.
This presentation in it’s entirety falls somewhere in between second and third cinema. Though it doesn’t call for an immediate revolution, the event encouraged revolutionary action. Be it the attempt to subvert dominant cinema and Native American representations, or the call to action against papal bulls. The event asks of the audience to see the world as seen by John Trudell, to see it as perversion that can be fought against. The words of John Trudell and those who came out to support him are crucial in understanding the needs and accomplishments of Native American peoples.
Access the Tribute Video Here:
https://youtu.be/fRTMe_EPgSM
Purchase the Film Here!
https://www.amazon.com/Trudell-Heather-Rae/dp/B004W5YN6Q
Whether the film is to be considered as secondary cinema or a third, it is enjoyable and creates a space for much needed discourse surrounding the hardships that need to be dealt with for the Native Community.
