Throat Song, The Descendants, and Stagecoach

Inuit-themed Short Screens at Toronto Film FestivalAn Inuit woman escaping abuse, an indigenous-descended Hawaiian family coming to grips with its secrets, and a First Nations–perspective analysis of the 1939 classic Stagecoach are some of the indigenous-themed offerings at the Toronto Film Fest, which starts on September 8 and runs through the 18th.

Throat Song tells the story of Ippik, a young Inuk woman who, extracting herself from an abusive relationship, finds her voice.

“The stark beauty and isolation of the Arctic is captured in vivid detail, set against restrained yet raw performances that convey the burden of suffering and the strength to move forward,” the festival description says. Toronto-born Miranda de Pencier makes her directorial debut with this short.

The feature film The Descendants, directed by Alexander Payne (of Sideways and About Schmidt fame) and starring George Clooney, details the trials of a Hawaiian family with indigenous ancestry.

Steve Loft, a Mohawk-Jewish writer, curator and artist, served as the curator-in-residence of indigenous art at the National Gallery of Canada. At the festival his First Nations–oriented look at the iconic Stagecoach will put a new spin on the spin on Geronimo.Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.