Filmed over a three-day span in 2023 at the Daybreak Cultural Center in Seattle, critics are raving that “Powwow People” offers a unique view of modern Native American culture. Unlike other documentaries focused on the experience of indigenous peoples–which often take an ethnographic, outsider’s view–director Sky Hopinka aims for a naturalistic, immersive experience with his film.
“I tell stories that are relevant to an Indigenous audience, unburdened by explanations to an audience unfamiliar with its context,” Hopinka told Art Basel in a 2023 interview exploring his work.
To capture the energy of a modern powwow with complete intimacy, the director organized the event specifically for the film, with MC duties performed by noted Gathering of Nations event host Ruben Little Head, and security provided by the Sacred Riders of Tulalip. The powwow featured a drum contest as well as a number of dance contests with cash and prizes awarded.
With that level of control, Hopinka was able to take his cameras through every aspect of the powwow, from preparation and setup, through the dances themselves. Culminating in what the Toronto Film Festival advertises as “a mesmeric 30-minute unbroken shot of a Northern Traditional dance special.”
“There is so much life bursting free from every frame,” writes critic Chase Hutchinson for The Wrap, “with moments of humor and joy that are also complicated by the feeling that this moment in time can so easily be lost. It’s an essential film that’s one of the most moving documentaries of the year and further proof of how Hopinka is one of the most exciting filmmakers working today.”
Powwow People is not Hopinka’s first exploration of native culture specific to the Pacific Northwest. His previous feature, “maɬni – towards the ocean, towards the shore,” delivered largely in Chinuk Wawa, followed two Chinook men through contemplations of the spiritual transition between life and death and the afterlife.
The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 4th through 14th. The event is hosted at the TIFF Lightbox center in downtown Toronto. Powwow People has not yet been scheduled for wider theatrical release or streaming.
