Big Sky Documentary Film Festival - The Confluence
This short documentary focuses on the controversial Escalade Development, a proposal which would take a gondola to the bottom of the Grand Canyon where the Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers meet. As the film follows a group of Navajo activists fighting to protect this sacred site, we explore how places shape human identities in profound ways.
Interview with Director Courtney Blackmer-Raynolds
Watch The Confluence here:
Main photo: Jason Nez explains why the confluence of the Colorado River and the Little Colorado River in the Grand Canyon is sacred to many Southwestern tribes
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I’m intrigued by how places make us who we are. This project was a way to learn about the relationship between landscape and identity while simultaneously creating a tool for Navajo activists in a contemporary fight to protect their sacred lands.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Illuminating seldom-heard Native American voices, the cast of Navajo characters welcomes the audience into their experience as they struggle to protect the canyon that they hold sacred. The film invites the viewer to consider essential questions regarding land, community and identity.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
My film explores one example of Indigenous land under threat of exploitation and degradation by non-native developers. Though economic development is indeed needed on the Navajo Nation, very little of the revenues (8-18%) from this development would make it back to the Navajo, yet all of the cultural and ecological burden would fall on their shoulders. Unfortunately, situations like this have challenged Indigenous communities worldwide since colonization.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
The film was originally going to focus more on the proposed Escalade Development itself. I had originally hoped to interview more pro-Escalade folks, but I found myself more interested in the Escalade as an entrance point to talking about deeper and more personal issues relating to sacred geographies and cultural and emotional attachments to landscapes.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The film has been well received. It is screening at a number of film festivals and public screenings across the United States and has reached a substantial viewership online. Audiences are eager to find ways to contribute to the efforts of the featured Navajo activist group, Save the Confluence.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I’ve been surprised by how much harder it is to plan screenings on the Navajo Nation than it is off-reservation. My top priority for distribution has always been to make the film available to a Native audience, particularly a Navajo audience because this is their story, their land, and ultimately their decision to allow or block the development.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I am thrilled to have the film featured here on We Are Moving Stories. I hope that the increased visibility will get more people talking about social and environmental issues that impact contemporary Indigenous communities worldwide.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We would be pleased to link up with more distribution outlets for the film. Increasing visibility at festivals, online, and on television would all be helpful. I’d be especially excited to collaborate with people who work specifically with distributing media within Native communities.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would love it if the Escalade Development were voted down by the Navajo Nation Council and the confluence of the Colorado River and Little Colorado Rivers protected for cultural and spiritual uses with efforts shifting toward exploring more sustainable income generating activities.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How does where we are make us who we are? What responsibility do we have, if any, to protect the natural world? Is there a link between the health of our environment and the physical, emotional & spiritual health of our communities?
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Courtney is working on a promotional film for a youth climate change conference while planning her next adventures. Isaac is working for a food distribution startup in Colorado Springs.
Interview: March 2017
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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The Confluence
This short documentary focuses on the controversial Escalade Development, a proposal which would take a gondola to the bottom of the Grand Canyon where the Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers meet. As the film follows a group of Navajo activists fighting to protect this sacred site, we explore how places shape human identities in profound ways.
Length: 16 min. 9 sec.
Director: Courtney Blackmer-Raynolds
Producers: Courtney Blackmer-Raynolds & Isaac Salay
About the writer, director and producer:
Courtney Blackmer-Raynolds and Isaac Salay are graduates in Southwest Studies at Colorado College who share a dedication to the rights of Indigenous peoples. Courtney majored in Film & Media Studies, and the two joined forces to create this movie. Having grown up on the Navajo Nation and in Flagstaff, Isaac has a deep knowledge of the people and places featured in this story. Based in Northern Colorado, Courtney was raised on the rivers of the Rocky Mountain West and has a deep appreciation for these landscapes and the people who call them home.
Key cast: Renae Yellowhorse, Sarana Riggs, Jason Nez, Delores Wilson-Aguirre, Sarah Yellowhorse, Nellie Yellowhorse
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Buyers, distributors, film festival directors, & journalists. I am especially interested in collaborating with those who focus on making media available to Native American audiences.
Funders: Colorado College Programs of Southwest Studies and Film and New Media Studies
Where can I see it in the next month?
Online at https://vimeo.com/184970801