This review jogged a lot of my memories. I really enjoyed Pathfinder (I did not enjoy it’s bizarre re-make where Karl Urban is the white savior who defeats a bunch of vikings on behalf of indigenous Americans. Wtaf?) and it’s often been in my mind over the years.

Pathfinder tells the story of a Sami boy whose family is attacked by Chudes (a poorly understood group from early medieval Finland). He is forced to use his his wits, knowledge of the land, and winter skills (skis feature prominently) to defeat the raiders and save his community. It’s a simple but elegant plot, wonderfully shot in the depths of the Norwegian winter. Fun annecdote: They kept having problems because while the actors were accustomed to the weather, the cameras would freeze solid!

I was telling my buddy about movies like Pathfinder and The Dead Lands, about how indigenous filmmakers share new perspectives and new approaches to stock genres and formats. I highly recommend both movies. Pathfinder is an adventuresome folktale, while The Dead Lands is a straight up Maori kung-fu revenge flick that highlights Mau rākau, the Maori system of martial arts and armed combat. And it is COOL AS FUCK (and very violent, check the content warnings first).

If anyone has recommendations for cool movies by indigenous directors and film teams please share!