UMass Amherst

Commonwealth College Film Series

Movie showings take place Mondays at 7:00 pm in 504 Goodell. Films are free and open to all Commonwealth College members and their friends. Snacks and refreshments will be served prior to the showing. Please RSVP to events@comcol.umass.edu by the Sunday prior to the showing.

Fall 2009

 

Monday, September 21, 7pm


Smoke SignalsSmoke Signals (1998)
Set in Arizona, Smoke Signals is the story of two Indian boys on a journey.  Victor (Adam Beach) is the stoic, handsome son of an alcoholic father who has abandoned his family. Thomas (Evan Adams) is a gregarious, goofy young man who lost both his parents in a fire at a very young age. Through storytelling, Thomas makes every effort to connect with the people around
him; Victor, in contrast, uses his quiet countenance to gain strength and confidence. When Victor's estranged father dies, the two men embark on an adventure to Phoenix to collect the ashes. Along the way, Smoke Signals illustrates the ties that bind these two very different young men and embraces the lessons they learn from one another.

Monday, September 28, 7pm


American OutrageAmerican Outrage (2007)
Director: Beth Gage and George Gage Two grandmothers, Carrie Dann and Mary Dann, have been at the forefront of the Western Shoshone Nation's struggle for land rights and sovereignty for nearly forty years. American Outrage documents their fight against the U.S. government's unlawful attempts to take over traditional Shoshone land in Nevada, part of 60 millions acres guaranteed to them in the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley. Over the years the Dann sisters have endured steady harassment from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and they have squared off against international gold mining corporations and the nuclear industry. Their courage and perseverance in asserting the rights of indigenous peoples have brought them numerous awards, including the 1993 Alternative Nobel Prize and the International Right Livelihood Award.(taken from Native Networks).

Monday, October 5, 7pm


TrudellTrudell (2005)
In Trudell, filmmaker Heather Rae presents the engaging life story of Native American poet-prophiet-activist John Trudell and his heartfelt message of active, personal responsibility to the earth, all of its inhabitants, and our descendents.(taken from www.trudellthemovie.com).

 

 

Monday, October 19, 7pm


SkinsSkins (2002)
Rudy Yellow Lodge is an investigator with the police department and witnesses firsthand the painful legacy of Indian existence. Although rampant unemployment, alcoholism and domestic violence are the norm for many reservation inhabitants, Rudy has largely escaped this cycle of despair. His brother Mogie, however, has not. Now faced with the discovery of a bloodied body, a flaming liquor store just off native land that sells millions of
cans of beer a year to the native population, and his brother's ongoing self-destruction, Rudy goes on a quest to avenge himself, his family, and his culture and to seek justice. Written by Sujit R. Varma.