History 3010  

Smoke Signals

cover    Smoke Signals has attracted attention as the first full-length feature film written, directed and performed by American Indians. It marks the directorial feature debut of Cheyenne-Arapaho filmmaker Chris Eyre. The screenplay was adapted by writer Sherman Alexie (Spokane-Coeur d'Alene) from his collection of short stories, Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.

The film is set on a Coeur d'Alene reservation in Idaho. Victor Joseph's stepfather Arnold has just died outside Phoenix, Arizona and the son is asked to collect his ashes and his pickup truck. The only way he can afford to carry out the mission is by accepting an offer of money from his peer, the geeky Thomas Builds-the-Fire. Thomas's side of the bargain is that he be allowed to accompany Victor on the trip. Out of this develops a version of the road movie.

Smoke Signals
Running Time: 88 min.
MPAA Rating: PG13
Produced By: / Shadow Catcher Entertainment
Released: June 26, 1998
 
Cast:
Adam Beach (Victor Joseph)
Evan Adams (Thomas Builds-the-Fire)
Irene Bedard (Suzy Song)
Gary Farmer (Arnold Joseph)

Production Credits:
Roger Baerwolf (Associate Producer)
Sherman Alexie (Book Author)
Brian Capener (Cinematographer)
Sherman Alexie (Co-producer)
Chris Eyre (Co-producer)
B.C. Smith (Composer (Music Score) --Ulali is the group featured in the closing scenes
Chris Eyre (Director)
Brian Berdan (Editor)
Sherman Alexie (Screenwriter)
 

Readings: view the film Smoke Signals (1998). Also peruse:

Come prepared to talk about the film--what are issues of culture, family, tradition and modern life? How does the film help you get to Indian Country? What surprised you in the film?

Original version of:

forgiving our fathers
by dick lourie

maybe in a dream: he's in your power
you twist his arm but you're not sure it was
he that stole your money you feel calmer
and you decide to let him go free

or he's the one (as in a dream of mine)
I must pull from the water but I never
knew it or wouldn't have done it until
I saw the street-theater play so close up
I was moved to actions I'd never before taken

maybe for leaving us too often or
forever when we were little maybe
for scaring us with unexpected rage
or making us nervous because there seemed
never to be any rage there at all

for marrying or not marrying our mothers
for divorcing or not divorcing our mothers
and shall we forgive them for their excesses
of warmth or coldness shall we forgive them

for pushing or leaning for shutting doors
for speaking only through layers of cloth
or never speaking or never being silent

in our age or in theirs or in their deaths
saying it to them or not saying it -
if we forgive our fathers what is left

 

 

Version used in the film:


how do we forgive our fathers?

maybe in a dream?

do we forgive our fathers for leaving us too often?

or forever, when we were little?

maybe for scaring us with unexpected rage, or making us nervous

because there never seemed to be any rage there at all?

do we forgive our fathers for marrying or not marrying our mothers?

or for divorcing or not divorcing our mothers?

and shall we forgive them for their excesses of warmth or coldness?

shall we forgive them for pushing or leaning, or shutting doors?

for speaking thru walls, or never speaking, or never being silent?

do we forgive our fathers in our age, or in theirs?

or in their deaths, saying it to them, or not saying it.

if we forgive our fathers, what is left?