- This topic has 8 voices and 22 replies.
-
Posts
-
Looks like this movie might be interesting. Has anyone else heard anything about it yet? It hasn’t debuted yet, but features some interesting actors.
Yea I have seen the peviews but I am alway weary and a little stand offish with any movie that depicts the conquering of any Indigenous people, I immediately get angry. However it has peaked my interest, because there are some well known Native Actors in it.
That was shot here last year. I know people who were extras in it. There was a lot of controversy, Debbie Moore (Pamunkey) was working in the casting office. I don’t remember the issue exactly, but I believe she was led to believe they wanted her input on casting it accurately, but in the end they just wanted to do what they had in their heads to do. The girl playing Pocohontas is the same girl who had the lead in Whale Rider.
Well I guess that the actress in Whale Rider would be around the same age Pocohontas was.
Ahh Pocohontas that poor child/woman, I hope they tell her real story and give everyone a shock into her true life and all it’s tragedy.
The girl in Whale Rider is an amazing actress though, sho could pull it off.
Correction, the girl who has the lead for Pochahantas is not the same as the girl who was in Whale Rider, she is Qorianka Kelcher,
(I know, I did not spell her name right). The young girl who starred in Whale Rider is Keisha Castle-Hughes. As for input for the film yes there was controversy however, people like Buck Woodard, Sonia Lawrence, Deanna Beacham (all of the Virginia Council for Indians) Chris French, Donna Richardson, Aaron Winston, Rose Powhatan, Page Archer, Thomas “Two Feathers” Lewis, Rose Powhatan, Danielle Bradby and others were involved as extras and advisors.
That’s weird. I just looked at the trailer and that girl looks and acts just like the Whale Rider actress
One area that perhaps received the most controversy was the treatment of American Indian actors during the production of the New World.
This is not unlike the same concerns that apparently have been voiced by American Indians actors and extras that participated in the production of “Into the West”. You can read some of the commentary at Indianz.com article June 13, 2005. An Excerpt below:
http://indianz.com/News/2005/008715.asp
TV Week: Indians cite mistreatment on ‘West’
Monday, June 13, 2005
“Some of the Native Americans who worked on TNT’s 12-hour miniseries “Into the West” allege they faced harsh working conditions and were frequently underpaid, and that the production violated child labor laws.
The charges emerged from numerous interviews with Native American extras and crew members. Many of the background performers drove across the country to participate in a miniseries executive produced by Steven Spielberg and dramatizing their
cultural history.
As for Keisha and Qorianka one is from New Zealand and the other is other Quechan extraction. You can google them both and learn more about their acting careers and ancestry.
A lot of the extras, and at least one of the stars came to the guy from “Free Willie” came to the Chickahominy pow wow last year. I didn’t really get a feel for how the movie was going, but all that I talked to seemed hopeful that the real story would be told.
I have had an oportunity to see the episod Hell on WHeels, I cant say I did not like it and I cant say that I liked it, what I will say is that it was thought provoking and made me cry. I dont know if you know who Tyler Christipher is, I am a big General Hospital soap fan (since 2yr old) anyway his charecter is a mixed blood he is the brother of Margaret in the show, her husband was a white photographer, any way I am a big Tyler Christopher fan, Unfortunetly in the movie he is a sell out but the acting is great & i have to say he is not hard on the eyes.
wait a second are we talking about 2 different movies I am getting confused. I am talking about INTO THE WEST, ok i am going to have to check into the new world movie.
I have been fairly impressed with the Into The West show. It has brought some tears, but it seems that they are trying to show what Natives endured. It has proked a lot of thought!! As a mixed blood it makes my brain hurt.
You were correct Christina, I was the one confused. I didn’t pick up on the transition to Into the West, sorry.
LoL I started thinking if I was missing a movie with Native folks in it. I only have been able to see the one episode. Yea it makes my brain hurt too! Because I think many of us or atleast for myself so many stories were lost and I have had my moments where I lay in bed at night speculating on what happened, why did my ancestors stop writing their race on the cencus, what issues did they face, were they hurt? but I was told by an elder once that I should not look to the past and that my ancestors are very happy that I have picked it up and am living in their way, but even in that I still wonder sometimes, just because of the missing pieces. But there are parts of the movie that actually made me feel alittle better about the stigma of being mixed bloods because there was a comfort in their charecter, that they were trying to accept themselves and recognizing who they truley were inside without having to share it with the world in order to survive in some aspects. just a thought
And for once it ‘s not so romanticized
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
