Navajo filmmaker, 14 years old, releases 'In the Footsteps of Yellow Woman'
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
“In the Footsteps of Yellow Woman” is a 26 minute docu-drama about a 13-year-old Navajo girl who finds her own strengths through making a documentary about her grandmother and their ancestral history. She imagines what it would be like to be her Great-Great-Great-Grandmother Yellow Woman, who lived through the Navajo Long Walk of 1864 - 1868. The re-enactments were performed by the descendants of Yellow Woman and filmed in many of the places where the historical events actually took place.
Camille Manybeads Tso (Navajo) is a now 14-year-old filmmaker who learned the art of film through the Indigenous Youth media literacy collective, Outta Your Backpack Media in Ariz. Camille has worked with OYBMedia since she was 9, and is currently the youngest youth mentor. Camille formed Halne’e (Storyteller) Productions in 2008 to tell her family’s and culture’s stories.
“In the Footsteps of Yellow Woman” is Camille’s first big production. It started as her 8th grade project, but soon grew into something more meaningful. Camille conducted the interviews, researched the time period, and wrote a script of re-enactments. She recruited her family to help her make costumes, direct, film, act, sing, and edit. The results are a beautiful film of the power of reclaiming oral histories.
Camille's film has already been accepted into 3 film festivals, the International Indigenous Arts and Film Festival in Denver, the Native Spirit Festival in London, and the Eckerd Environmental Film Festival in St. Pete, Florida!
Camille Manybeads Tso as Yellow Woman
Review Censored News review:
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2009/11/in-footsteps-of-yellow-woman-authentic.html
2 comments:
Excellent work! Wonderful to see Navajo youth expressing our history! Keep up the great work Camille, we will keep watching, you keep creating!
With Great Respect and Love,
Michelle Cook
Camille keep us informed as to where you are invited to view your film,because many of your family and fans are unable to travel without saving up and planning many months in advance in order to attend.I am so proud of you and your hard work on this project.I cried not just because I knew the story was true but how effectively you portrayed it.When I read the credits and saw that you are Yellow Woman's direct descendant I wept.I still cannot believe you were only 13 when you made this film.I'm really looking forward to watching you evolve into the master filmmaker, story teller,writer,composer,singer actor and artist that you are obviously meant to be throughout your life!You certainly proved yourself capable of conceiving creating and then fully developing to completion your idea that started as an eighth grade project with this film!Many adults find it hard to finish what they start but you must know now that the feeling of accomplishment was worth all the research and hard work.In fact I bet it became fun to step up to and solve all your technical and artistic challenges! What are you interested in pursuing next? Whatever it is I'm sure it will be amazing!
Keep me updated and if there is anything I can do to help you in any way to attain your goals do not hesitate to call upon me.
Love, Masani
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