The acclaimed 1994 feature film, Dance Me Outside will screen at Noon, followed by a post-film panel discussion on HB2570, an Arizona State Committee on Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls. Panelists include Monica Antone (Akimel O’odham), District 4 Councilwoman, Gila River Indian Community; Wenona Benally-Baldengro (Diné), Former Arizona State House of Representative, Legislative District 7; Alfred Urbina (Yoemi), Chief Judge, Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona; Victoria Steele (Seneca), Arizona State Senator, Legislative District 9.
Director Bruce McDonald’s (Highway 61; Hard Core Logo) earthy, award-winning 1994 First Nations drama has gained a reputation as launching pad for emerging talent like Adam Beach (Smoke Signals) and Jennifer Podemski (Degrassi: The Next Generation). Silas Crow (Ryan Black) and Frank Fencepost (Beach) are two average 18 year-olds on a reservation in Northern Ontario. Confused about their direction in life, they hope to get into a Toronto mechanic’s school, but must first write a story for their entrance exam. As the aimless friends struggle to find their way, the whole community is shocked when a young woman from the reserve is murdered by a drunken white punk at a local hangout. When the killer gets off with a light sentence, Silas and Frank plan revenge, leading to unexpected consequences for everyone. This slice of Native Canadian life was a landmark ensemble piece and an eye-opening look at life on the modern reserve. Based on a story by W.P. Kinsella, the offbeat drama mixes coming-of-age growing pains with crime and old-fashioned tribal justice, and became a critically-acclaimed indie hit that inspired the CBC TV series, The Rez, also directed by McDonald. (Dir. by Bruce McDonald, 1994, Canada, 84 mins., Rated R)