♪ [bold drums] ♪ ♪ [traditional vocalizing] ♪ ♪ ♪ Ariel: Welcome to Native Shorts, presented by Sundance Institute's Indigenous Program.

My name is Ariel Tweto!

Bird: And, I'm Bird Runningwater.

Ariel: And, today's episode... is, like usual, amazing!

(laughter) It's a good one, though.

They are two completely different films from completely different parts of the world.

Bird: Yes!

Ariel: And, your reaction to them are pretty different.

Bird: Yeah.

We're going from Mongolia in Asia over to Navajo nation in New Mexico.

But, our first short is called "Nutag" which is from Mongolia, and it's by Alisi Telengut.

She's Mongolian, and this film is an interesting- it's such an Impressionistic little piece.

Ariel: I'm excited for everybody to see it.

We should just jump in and watch.

Bird: Let's do it.

Ariel: Okay!

Bird: So, here we are.

Here is "Nutag".

(breezy wind blowing) (snow flurries whipping in wind) (snow flurries whipping in wind) (fierce wind blowing) (fierce wind blowing) (blowing & drifting snow) (train engine chugging) ♪ [traditional singing] (train engine chugging) ♪ [traditional singing] ♪ (snorts) ♪ [traditional singing] ♪ (hoof steps) ♪ [traditional singing] ♪ ♪ (footsteps) ♪ [traditional singing] ♪ (breezy wind blowing) ♪ [mechanical clanking sounds] ♪ [mechanical clanking sounds] [train engine chugging] [mournful traditional vocals] ♪ [mechanical clanking/squeaking] ♪ ♪ (breezy wind blowing) [mournful traditional vocals] ♪ [train engine chugging] ♪ (breezy wind blowing) ♪ (train engine chugging) (brakes clanking/squealing) ♪ (galloping hoof steps) ♪ [traditional singing] ♪ (galloping hoof steps) ♪ (galloping hoof steps) ♪ (breezy wind blowing) ♪ ♪ ♪ [traditional singing] ♪ ♪ [traditional singing] ♪ ♪ [deep raspy vocalizing] ♪ ♪ [music fades] Ariel: That was cool.

It reminded me of Van Gogh paintings.

Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: Like, very- sort of eerie, but like hard brush strokes.

Bird: Is that what they call Impressionism?

Ariel: Is that what it's called?

Bird: I feel like this film was very Impressionistic.

But, you know, she has a really interesting process because her method is to paint her stories frame-by-frame, and she does it by hand.

Doing it one-by, and no telling how long that takes!

Again, Canadian funding- Ariel: Oh, really?

Bird: will get you there!

(he laughs) Ariel: Go Canada!

Eh!

Bird: But, she's originally from Mongolia.

She grew up in China.

She ended up in film school in Montreal.

Her name, she said, Alisi means "to go far".

Well, she thinks her parents named her that so that she would go far in life, go far around the world.

Ariel: Oh, I love that!

Bird: See many different things.

Ariel: Well, I think she's on her right path.

Bird: She has!

I know!

(chuckles) Ariel: Yeah!

Bird: But, she wanted to make this film about an indigenous tribe in Mongolia called the Kalmyk people.

Ariel: Okay.

Bird: And, the Kalymks were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands where they are in Mongolia, by the then-former Soviet republic, the USSR.

Remember them?

Ariel: Yeah.

Bird: But, they removed these people and moved them to Siberia.

Ariel: Where my ancestors are from.

Bird: Where your people extend over to.

Right?

Ariel: Yeah.

We cross the land bridge.

Bird: Which is kinda cold.

Right?

Ariel: Kind of.

Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: It's cold.

Bird: Okay.

But- so, they ended up there and they were- this is like in the '40s and '50s.

And then, they were allowed to return to their homelands.

But, I think by then like half of them had died.

Ariel: Yeah.

Over-?

Yeah.

I was reading.

Like, over 120 people.

Which is crazy because a lot of people haven't heard about this story in particular, and it's common.

Bird: It's a common, sad story that happens to a lot of indigenous peoples: forced removal, you know?

And, being- it's part of the colonial process, which we know we're still resilient.

We're still creative despite all that, right?

Ariel: Yeah.

Bird: We're still creating.

But, this film- she wanted to honor these people, and I think it's just so beautiful.

You know, you hear the trains.

Which, is probably what they were loaded onto to be removed.

You see the beautiful horses running, and then the sad little horse dying- Ariel: Dying.

Bird: and fading away.

And, I love the music; the sound design.

Ariel: Mm hm.

Bird: It's like evocative.

Ariel: It is.

And, yeah.

It definitely gets you in a certain mood, and she nailed it with the sound.

I liked it.

Bird: Yeah.

(she sighs) So-?

Shall we talk about our next one?

Ariel: Yes, we should!

(laughter) Get out of that slump!

Bird: This is a fiction film.

We're going go back to live action, right?

Ariel: Yeah.

Bird: This film is "I am thy Weapon" by Razelle Benally who belongs to the Oglala Lakota nation, and the Navajo nation, as well.

And, it's a story that's kind of based on one of her own personal experiences.

Ariel: Oh.

Darn, another sad one.

Tissues?

(he laughs) Ariel: Let's watch it!

Bird: Okay, let's watch it!

"I am thy Weapon" by Razelle Benally.

♪ ♪ (sighs) ♪ - What are you doing?

- What does it look like I'm doing?

- Are we even supposed to be here?

- Hey!

Chill out, a sec.

- We've been here for, like, 10 years and you haven't done anything yet!

- Go to the corner.

Go be my lookout.

- No!

I wanna help this time.

♪ (sighs) - Alright.

Come here.

Take this.

[paint can rattling] ♪ (paint can spraying) ♪ [heavy drums] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [music softens] - What up?

- What's up, man?

- Oh!

Check out this car!

- (chuckles) Nice to see you, too!

- I didn't know you could drive!

- Man!

Anyway, how things been here?

- Things have been really chill, actually.

It's really cooled down since you been gone.

- Yeah.

It seems like it.

They really cleaned up the place, haven't they?

- Yeah!

So you ready do this, though?

- Yeah.

I mean, yeah.

Let's go.

- Okay.

You're sure, right?

I mean, we could always call up the crew and wild out like we used to!

(she chuckles) - No, no.

I gotta do this, you know?

- Yeah.

Well, I got your back.

Reags was like my older sister, too.

You know?

- I know.

[birds chirping] [footsteps] (clanking paint cans) - Hey.

It's all clear.

- (clears throat) What do you mean it's clear?

- Well...?

I do have this bag full of paint (clank) and we are at the wall.

So-?

- Wait a minute.

What do you think we're doing here?

- Tsk!

- For real?

- Wait.

Hey, you said you had unfinished business to take care of.

- Yeah, I do.

I did.

That's what this is for, you know?

Anyway, we came.

I'm here.

Let's bounce!

- What?

No.

For real?

- Yeah.

For real!

- So, this?

This is closure for you?

A candle and a flower?

- Yeah, it is.

- Look.

I'm here what else am I supposed to do?

Really?

- Everything alright, here?

- Not doing anything, officer.

- Yeah?

Hold it!

Turn around, slowly.

Put your hands where I can see'em!

- What's this you got goin' on?

- It's not anything.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

- Wait a minute.

- I remember you!

(he chuckles) Yeah!

I'd think twice before tryin' to throw somethin' up here.

We finally got this place lookin' good for once!

- I don't even do that s--- anymore.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

- Get against that wall!

Don't you move.

- Get the can out of your hand!

- You want the can?

(bang)!

(smack) - What's wrong with you?

Huh?

- I don't want any funny stuff happening here.

Understood?

Understood?

- Okay.

I told you.

I don't even do that s--- anymore.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

One drop of paint touches this wall, you're done!

- Turn around!

- Now, beat it before I call you in!

- Look it now, you little s---!

♪ ♪ ♪ (flick-flick-flick...) ♪ (door clinks open) ♪ (slam)!

- Daya!

(slam)!

- Daya!

What's up?

- Seriously, Ian?

I could've gotten thrown in for s--- I don't even do anymore.

Do you realize that?

- I don't believe that.

- Did you not just see that cop throw me against the wall?

Huh?

- No, 'cause you don't paint anymore!

- Get off me!

- Daya, you're the one who left.

- Yeah?

Well, I f----- left to get my s--- together!

To get myself a degree and to f----- give my own self some f----- stability!

- Just because you went to college doesn't mean s---.

You know who you are, Day'.

And, this?

(ksssh) This is who you are.

And, it's gonna be a part of your life forever.

- Yeah?

Well, I don't wanna make the same mistakes she did, and I sure as f----- h--- do not wanna let her down!

[he scoffs] - Let her down?

Day', she died doing what she loved.

The least you can do is honor that because I know you have the same love that she did, and you still do.

I know you still do!

- Wasn't her territory to paint.

- So, reclaim that!

What the f--- are you running away from?

You know how to kill this memory, and it has nothing to do with violence.

- This s--- never got me anywhere.

- Yeah?

Well, it's all we ever really had.

♪ [soft music] ♪ ♪ [angst/brooding] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (paint can rattling) (sniffs) (kicks floorboard/swears) (kicks floorboard/swears) (sobs) (tense breathing) ♪ [background music/vocalizing] ♪ [hip-hop beat/ vocalizing] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [hip-hop beat/ vocalizing] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [hip-hop beat/ vocalizing] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [footsteps] ♪ VO: Always real, ♪ ♪ and always changing.

♪ ♪ When I step ♪ ♪ in the light, ♪ ♪ it is dangerous.

♪ ♪ ♪ VO: Always real, ♪ ♪ and always changing.

♪ ♪ When I step ♪ ♪ in the light, ♪ ♪ it is dangerous.

♪ ♪ Ariel: Ooo!

I wish they would turn this one into a feature.

I didn't want it to end.

Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: Like, ah!

Keep going.

And then, it's just like 'no, don't do that!'

(he laughs) And then, it's just like 'no, but do it because it's like honoring the sister'.

Bird: Ahh!

Ariel: What's happening?

What's your feelings?

Bird: I know.

Well, I know that this is based on one of Razelle's personal experiences.

She's an alumni of our Native Lab.

She applied to us with this story.

This is kind of a personal story of a moment in time for her in her own personal life when she decided to, I think, spread her wings and fly, and move on from a particular place in her life.

Right?

So, she wanted to kind of go back and tell that story.

But, interesting thing about Razelle was that she started out as kind of a guerilla- well?

She started out as a skateboarder.

Ariel: Oh, wow!

Bird: Then, she started doing skateboard videos.

And then, she started doing, like, guerilla-style filmmaking where it's just on-the-fly, just herself.

But, she wanted to elevate her filmmaking to a more formal production method.

Right?

So, this was us taking her through our workshop with this script, test shooting some scenes and giving her some funding in order for her to move into a much more formal professional method of filmmaking.

Ariel: Yeah.

Bird: So, this was the result of that and I'm so proud of her!

I think she did such a good job.

Ariel: Yeah, she did.

I loved it.

And, we should talk about the lab a little bit after we finish talking about this film.

Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: Yeah, she's a great artist.

And so, now, she has funding to shoot a feature- or, she doesn't have funding to shoot a feature?

Bird: No.

Actually, you know what's interesting?

She and Shane McSauby who is another filmmaker we're talking about this season.

The two of them both came out of our Native Lab and both of them were just accepted to NYU Tisch graduate film program, where Andrew MacLean- Ariel: Yeah!

Bird: is his professor there, from your community.

So, they're now living in New York City going to grad film school and even upping their game more.

And, I can't wait to see what they create out of that process.

Ariel: You guys should do a reality show about them (he laughs) living in the city!

Bird: That's a good idea.

Ariel: I'll direct it!

Bird: Okay!

(laughter) Ariel: So, what is the Lab for the viewers that are watching this?

Bird: Well, the Native Lab is- we have a national competition for short film scripts, for fiction scripts.

And, we go through them and we just try to look for stories that we think artists are very, very passionate about, and what they can articulate their passionate about.

And also, the personal voice, really, that's contained within a project.

And so, we take them on board.

We workshop the script.

We test shoot some scenes.

We help them work it out until they get to the last draft of their script.

And then, we fund them to go make their short film.

Ariel: God!

What a cool, like, honor.

Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: And, so helpful for an artist.

I mean, to get that guidance and everything?

Bird: Hardly anyone else gets the chance to test shoot.

Right?

Ariel: Yeah.

Bird: So, that's one of the things that we do.

Razelle actually gave me these earrings.

Ariel: What are they made of?

Bird: They're made out of buffalo horns.

Ariel: Oh, wow!

Bird: I know.

Right?

Ariel: Are they heavy?

Bird: No.

Ariel: Wow.

I like'em.

Bird: Not at all.

(laughter) Ariel: Well, that was- Bird: But, Razelle's a great voice.

She's on her way.

I think she's got some really interesting stories to tell.

She is developing her first feature that we're supporting her on.

Ariel: Okay.

Bird: The story isn't necessarily related to it but it's kind of a personal story, as well.

She's got a great catalogue of stories that I'm excited for her- Ariel: I was going to say.

It seems like she had a really interesting life and she tells her stories really well.

I mean, watching this film you just get sucked into it.

And, you just become very connected with the characters and you're rooting for them.

Bird: She's really interested in challenging herself so she grows.

That she really grows in her craft, and really grows as an artist in both her writing and her direction.

And, everything because she wants her films to be great, and I think they will be.

Ariel: I think they will be, too.

Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: Well, that was an awesome episode!

Bird: I know!

Ariel: For the viewers out there, if you want to see it again you could go to fnx.org/nativeshorts Bird: Or, you can download the app where you can watch everything on-demand, on your phone, on your tablet.

Ariel: For free!

Bird: Yeah.

All Native, all the time.

Ariel: All the time.

Bird: Like us!

Ariel: Like, all the time!

(laughter) Ariel: Cool!

Well?

Thank you, guys!

Bird: Thanks.

Ariel: We'll see you next time!

Bird: Bye!

♪ [bold drums] ♪ ♪ [traditional vocalizing] ♪ ♪ ♪