Songs My Brothers Taught Me

Songs My Brothers Taught Me
Directed by Chloé Zhao
Produced by Forest Whitaker, Chloé Zhao
Written by Chloé Zhao
Starring John Reddy
JaShaun St. John
Cinematography Joshua James Richards
Edited by Alan Canant
Chloé Zhao
Release date
  • January 27, 2015 (2015-01-27) (Sundance)
Running time
 98 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $146,476[1]

Songs My Brothers Taught Me is a 2015 American drama film written and directed by Chloé Zhao and produced by Forest Whitaker. It is Zhao's debut feature film and was developed in Sundance Institute workshops. The film, set on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, explores the bond between a Lakota Sioux brother and his younger sister.

The film premiered in the US Dramatic Competition at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. It was later screened in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.[2]

Plot

JaShaun Winters and John Winters are two full siblings, living with their mother, Lisa (Irene Bedard) on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. John illegally distributes alcohol to fellow residents to support his family. He is just about to graduate from high school and plans to leave the reservation to go to Los Angeles with his girlfriend, Aurelia (Taysha Fuller). Nervous about leaving he visits his brother, Cody, who is in prison and who urges John to leave.

Carl Winters, their father, dies in an accidental house fire. The siblings go to his funeral, along with their mother, which is crowded as Carl had 25 children with 9 women. At the funeral the children talk amongst themselves. Some of the siblings chose not to take Carl's name as he was not around for most of their lives.

John goes to the café where Aurelia works taking JaShaun with him. Getting bored and lonely while waiting for them, JaShaun goes to the back of the café where they are kissing and overhears them talking about moving away together.

JaShaun decides to get a job, helping Travis, an artist, newly freed from prison, sell his wares. He tells her that the reason the number 7 keeps recurring is because of its religious and cultural significance but also because Crazy Horse said everything ended at Wounded Knee but would begin again in the 7th generation which is JaShaun's generation.

John breaks the news that he is moving to be with Aurelia to her family and they are unimpressed as he will have no place to live and no job. While out on an alcohol run he is attacked by rival bootleggers and his car is blown up.

JaShaun goes to Travis' home but learns that while drunk he and a friend's father beat each other up and were arrested. She goes to her first rodeo where she runs into one of her brothers, Kevin Winters, who lets her ride their father's favourite horse, Sundance. Kevin tells her that despite growing up in the same home as his parents they were seldom there, spending all their time at rodeos.

John finally tells his family he is leaving. However when he finally arrives at Aurelia's place he decides not to go and returns home. He gets a job working with one of his half brothers at a body shop and settles into his life on the reservation.

Cast

Release and distribution

Fortissimo Films acquired the film as its international sales agent after it premiered in the US Dramatic Competition at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.The film was released in theaters in France by Diaphana Distribution.[3] In January 2016 it was announced that Kino Lorber had come on board as North American distributor with potential release that March.[4]

Reception

The film received strong reviews for its portrayal of young people's lives on the reservation and the setting.

Awards

The film won the FIPRESCI prize for Best First Feature at the 2015 Jerusalem Film Festival.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Songs My Brothers Taught Me". The Numbers. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  2. ↑ "The Directors' Fortnight 2015 selection!". Quinzaine des Réalisateurs. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  3. ↑ Kang, Inkoo (2 February 2015). "More Sundance Deals: 'Hot Girls Wanted,' '10,000 Saints,' 'Songs My Brother Taught Me'". Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  4. ↑ Sharf, Zach. "Kino Lorber Acquires Acclaimed Native American Drama 'Songs My Brothers Taught Me'". Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  5. ↑ "FIPRESCI prize for Best First Feature at the 2015 Jerusalem Film Festival!". Retrieved July 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
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