Part of Doc Spotlight
LAKOTA NATION VS. UNITED STATES chronicles the Lakota Indians’ century-long quest to reclaim the Black Hills, sacred land that was stolen in violation of treaty agreements. This searing and timely portrait of resistance explores the ways America has ignored its debt to indigenous communities, and ponders what might be done today to repair the wrongs of the past. Filmmakers Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli weave potent interviews with classic old Hollywood films and TV clips that reinforced stereotypes and propelled long standing bias. This visually stunning chronicle reminds viewers to both reflect and then strive to enact meaningful social change.
“Short Bull and Tomaselli have made an affecting and timely chronicle. At its core is a question that could be applied to much of human history, but burns with particular intensity in the story of the United States: Why must the push for ‘progress’ be built on so much fear — a need to exploit, subjugate, silence and remove what isn’t understood — rather than on an openhearted curiosity to understand and connect?” —Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter