Films

Experience contemporary powwow like never before in this immersive and radiant film from multidisciplinary artist and director Sky Hopinka. Through intimate detail and atmospheric precision, seasoned practitioners and newcomers alike are welcomed into the vibrant living world of dance, song, humor, dress, food, and demonstrations of kinship that define these celebratory circles.

Shot over three days and guiding audiences through the arc of a single mid-summer day, from preparation to the final dances, Hopinka’s visionary feat eschews typical documentary conventions and narration to create a cinematic and transformative reimagining of the emblematic ethnographic experience. At once celebratory and illuminating, the film offers an exuberant and expansive powwow education from the best seat in the house.

Introduction by Melissa Bisagni (VAFF)

 “Stunning…one of the most vital documentaries of the 21st century.”
-Chase Hutchinson, TheWrap