A unique and very moving film that marries poetry, dance, music and the art of cinema in one happy amalgam. In this largely improvised film actor Evan Adams plays a gay Native-American man who has left the reservation and must return home for the funeral of a friend.
REVIEW
After the success of 1998's Smoke Signals, novelist, screenwriter and poet Sherman Alexie was approached with lots of work in Hollywood. But, the fiercely independent Alexie ultimately decided to make his own film, where he could control all of the elements. Named after his 1992 poetry collection, "The Business of Fancydancing," Alexie's sumptuously shot digital video directorial debut involves the tumultuous personal journeys and reunion of several Native Americans following a childhood friends death.
Years ago, best friends Aristotle Joseph (Tagaban) and Seymour Polatkin (Adams) left their Spokane reservation homes to attend college in Seattle. Seymour, a gay writer, begins flourishing in the white man's world. But Aristotle has no such luck and rebels, growing hateful towards his friend and white society, returning to the reservation alone.
Fifteen years later, their mutual childhood friend, Mouse (Kanim), dies suddenly. Seymour is by now the de facto poet spokesman for American Indians – which neither he nor they are quite comfortable with. Seymour decides to revisit his "res," for the funeral and without his white boyfriend Steven, which greatly upsets the latter. Framed by delightfully confrontational interviews conducted by a humorously aggressive interviewer (Carroll), and remarkable music and dance sequences, The Business of Fancydancing unravels in many evocative and rewarding layers.
Each of the actors in the film was involved in the partially improvisatory writing process. A portion of their lives is in each of their characters, giving the film a very personal feel. Adding to the personal feel is the original music, all performed live in the film by the actors. Expect what you least expect in this poetic and musical transformational journey
REVIEW
After the success of 1998's Smoke Signals, novelist, screenwriter and poet Sherman Alexie was approached with lots of work in Hollywood. But, the fiercely independent Alexie ultimately decided to make his own film, where he could control all of the elements. Named after his 1992 poetry collection, "The Business of Fancydancing," Alexie's sumptuously shot digital video directorial debut involves the tumultuous personal journeys and reunion of several Native Americans following a childhood friends death.
Years ago, best friends Aristotle Joseph (Tagaban) and Seymour Polatkin (Adams) left their Spokane reservation homes to attend college in Seattle. Seymour, a gay writer, begins flourishing in the white man's world. But Aristotle has no such luck and rebels, growing hateful towards his friend and white society, returning to the reservation alone.
Fifteen years later, their mutual childhood friend, Mouse (Kanim), dies suddenly. Seymour is by now the de facto poet spokesman for American Indians – which neither he nor they are quite comfortable with. Seymour decides to revisit his "res," for the funeral and without his white boyfriend Steven, which greatly upsets the latter. Framed by delightfully confrontational interviews conducted by a humorously aggressive interviewer (Carroll), and remarkable music and dance sequences, The Business of Fancydancing unravels in many evocative and rewarding layers.
Each of the actors in the film was involved in the partially improvisatory writing process. A portion of their lives is in each of their characters, giving the film a very personal feel. Adding to the personal feel is the original music, all performed live in the film by the actors. Expect what you least expect in this poetic and musical transformational journey
