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Sandra Hale Schulman
Special to ICT
The latest: A Navajo weaver collabs with a top designer, a surreal Western film, and Native films take top honors in LA film fest
DESIGN: Diné weaver creates line for Ralph Lauren
A seventh-generation Diné textile artist and weaver, Naiomi Glasses is designer Ralph Lauren’s inaugural Artist in Residence for the collaborative Polo Ralph Lauren x Naomi Glasses Collection.
The collection was unveiled to consumers on Tuesday, Dec. 5, and will be presented as three seasonal, limited-edition product launches through 2024 that celebrate the artistry of timeless Navajo traditions through the vision and designs of Glasses.
The first collection includes 32 pieces of men’s, women’s and unisex apparel and accessories in a color palette inspired by Glasses’ homelands on the Navajo Nation. The pieces adapt Navajo symbols such as Spider Woman, the four directions, Saltillo diamonds and wedge motifs.
Some of the standout pieces include woven jacquard blanket coats and wraps crafted with the natural colors of undyed wool alongside reinterpretations of Ralph Lauren styles like ranch coats and thicket jackets. There will also be an assortment of crafted knits, velvet tops, and timeless layering pieces.
The first drop of the collection is available to consumers on RalphLauren.com and in select Ralph Lauren stores.
The campaign was shot by Ryan Redcorn, Osage, and Darren Sells, Navajo, and includes an anthemic short film series directed by award-winning Diné filmmaker Shaandiin Tome.
Top Indigenous models Quannah Chasinghorse, Hän Gwich’in/Oglala Lakota, and Phillip Bread, Comanche/Kiowa/Blackfeet, are featured.
Glasses, an avid turquoise and silver collector, curated a selection of handcrafted silver and turquoise jewelry from seven Navajo and Hopi artisan families that will be showcased throughout the campaign. The pieces will be available for purchase online and in select flagship stores.
FILM: ‘Quantum Cowboys’ a surreal time-warp tale
One of the most unusual Indigenous films of the year, “Quantum Cowboys,”’ is an indie hybrid animation/live action/sci-fi Western with a string of famous names in the credits.
It includes acclaimed actress Lily Gladstone, Blackfeet, who has generated Oscar buzz for her recent role in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” as well as Kiowa Gordon, Hulapai, of “Dark Winds”; Gary Farmer, Cayuga, of “Reservation Dogs”; newcomer John Way; and John Doe, actor and musician in the punk band X.
The characters jump back and forth in time as well as media — using both live action and animation for surreal scenes of the old West. The film tells the story of two hapless drifters, Frank (Kiowa Gordon) and Bruno (John Way), who team up with headstrong Linde (Lily Gladstone) to recover her land. They trek across 1870s southern Arizona to find an elusive frontier musician, who may or may not be dead depending on the time warp of the day.
The complex quantum time theory is blended with philosophical musings about art and how history is understood alongside memories, with gunfights, horses, dance halls, cacti, and saloons. A narrator weighs in, explaining quantum physics and how this is all possible.
“This was really a labor of love for me,” director/producer/writer/actor Geoff Marslett told ICT. “I studied physics before film, and I love the way quantum physics, at its best, is a reminder to decolonize knowledge. By this, I mean that understanding the math of the universe (or at least a tiny piece of that math) really helps us understand that ‘truth’ is always based on observation, that contradictory realities can both be contradictory to one another and objectively true at the same time.”
Got that?
“I set out to try to screenplay-ize the crazy concept of subjective realities competing to become collective history,” Marslett said. “A tough (and maybe successful/maybe not) cinematic challenge for sure, but I am happy that the final product makes one think about time, about place, about how multiple points of view (often expressed through art) define collective history. I hope it confuses and entertains and begs a second viewing (or third or fourth).”
Marslett says he grew up listening to the musician actors in the film, including John Doe, Howe Gelb and Neko Case. He says he became a filmmaker because of films by people like Farmer, who is an actor and musician.
“And the world is catching on to something I have known for a decade — Lily Gladstone is one of the best actors ever,” he said. “That’s why I wrote this role specifically for her. I wanted her to be the film’s Han Solo AND Ben Kenobi at the same time … and somehow she agreed to do it. Kiowa and John Way should be (and will be) household names themselves too. That trio — and their friendship — really is the heart of the film.”
Marslett says the film is “not dark and transgressive. It is absurd and creative, and I hope uplifting while still being challenging. And in turn I hope there is a place in film for this kind of thing. It is a reflection of the diverse and unclassifiable West that I grew up in. It is a chance not to tear down genres, but to create new ones.”
FILM: Native films honored at Los Angeles festival
The LA Skins Fest wrapped up on Nov. 19 after three days of films, a powwow and an awards show.
Held on Hollywood Boulevard at the historic TCL Chinese Theater, formerly Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and then Mann’s Chinese Theatre, the festival included a powwow in the Ovation Mall courtyard with a clear view of the Hollywood Hills’ iconic sign – a remarkable sight from the busiest tourist street in Los Angeles.
The festival featured more than 65 films from across Turtle Island, including the United States, Canada and South America, with different blocks of shorts and feature-length films.
“We’ve been here at the Chinese Theatre for over seven years,” festival Director Patti Gomes told ICT. “We’ve been very lucky to have their support where they understand the importance of providing a space for Indigenous filmmakers.”
It was the fifth year for the powwow, which provides “a space to welcome the community,” Gomes said.
The 12th Annual Awards Ceremony, held at the Hollywood Hard Rock Cafe on Nov. 19, was hosted by Kiowa Gordon of “Dark Winds” and Q’orianka Kilcher of “Yellowstone.” The winners were cited for achievements in the following categories:
*Filmmaking: “Frybread Face and Me,” director Billy Luther. The film premiered on Netflix on Nov. 24.
*Short Filmmaking: “River Bank (Pō-Kehgeh),” director Charine Pilar Gonzales
*Documentary: “Bad Press,” directors Rebecca Lansbury and Garrett Baker
*Short Documentary: “Rescuing Tar Creek: Water Protector Rebecca Jim,” director Colby Luper
*Animation: “Tala’s Bedtime Story,” director Peter Filimaua
*Youth Filmmaking: “Remember,” directors Samara, Cairo, Kiowa, Alexis and Alex
*Emerging Filmmaker: “Destiny’s Lines,” director Kristen Calderon
*Screenwriting: “Woman Who Blooms At Night,” director Camaray Davalos
*Student Filmmaking: “Choice Dorm,” directors Sherman Indian High School youth
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