Smoke Signals  (1998) / Tenacity  (1994)

Directed by Chris Eyre (Cheyenne/Arapaho).

Director Chris Eyre’s monumental first feature—also the first commercially released American feature written, directed and co-produced by Native American people— presents two young Native men, stoic Victor and nerdy Thomas, who journey from the Couer-d’Alene reservation to retrieve the ashes of Victor’s long-lost father.  The road trip deepens the pair’s tenuous friendship, as they explore their Native identity and confront past traumas with courage and humor.

Shadow Catcher Entertainment.  Producer: Scott Rosenfelt, Larry Estes.  Based on a novel by Sherman Alexie.  Screenwriter: Sherman Alexie.  Cinematographer: Brian Capener.  Editor: Brian Berdan.  Cast: Adam Beach, Evan Adams, Irene Bedard, Gary Farmer, Tantoo Cardinal.

35mm, color, 89 min.