Final Report - INDIANER INUIT: DAS NORDAMERIKA FILMFESTIVAL

Final Report
Indianer Inuit: The North American Native Film Festival 2007
21. – 25. March 2007 in Stuttgart (Germany)
Indianer Inuit: The North American Film Festival
Final Report 2007
www.nordamerika-filmfestival.com
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Intercultural Experience
Just as it was back in 2004, Indianer Inuit: The North American Native Film Festival proved to be
much more than a film festival. An intercultural experience for all participants, the many visitors to the
films welcomed and took advantage of the opportunity to meet and talk with internationally renowned
figures from the indigenous movie scene.
For their part the indigenous guests were delighted with the great interest shown by both young and
old and the numerous questions and detailed discussions generated by the showcased films. Because
the encounter aspect was placed at the center of the festival, this enabled relationships to form with
the potential to become long-lasting friendships.
Numerous personal contacts were made including among visitors, sharing interests in certain areas
and engaged in various ongoing projects. The festival team staff proved to be great facilitators in this
respect - arranging contacts, conveying information and creating a relaxed atmosphere in which the
festival was allowed to run smoothly.
fig: indigious guests in front of the Linden-Museum Stuttgart
(left to right: Jim Poitras, Nakotah LaRance, Dr. Sonja Schierle (Linden-Museum),
Steve LaRance, Gunter Lange (Artistic Director), Gregory Coyes, Lurline McGregor,
Peter Stracke (Galerie Kokopelli)
Indianer Inuit: The North American Film Festival
Final Report 2007
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fig: As in his films, Greg Coyes being a phantastic story teller at the opening session.
fig: Tantoo Cardinal speaking to the publisher of the magazine „Coyote“
Indianer Inuit: The North American Film Festival
Final Report 2007
www.nordamerika-filmfestival.com
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International Broadcast
Visitors to the festival ranged from 6 to 90-years old, came largely from Stuttgart and the surrounding
area but also from Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Leipzig, Cologne and neighboring European countries.
Discussions and reports on the festival particularly highlighted the unique character, the high quality
and personal aspects of the event. Some European filmmakers expressed their amazement that this
top international festival was taking place in Stuttgart rather than in Berlin or Munich.
fig: Repeated World Champion in Hoop Dance Nakotah LaRance at the opening session
at the Kommunalen Kino in Stuttgart
Indianer Inuit: The North American Film Festival
Final Report 2007
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Competence in Form and Content
The wide range of films was extremely well received covering the various facets of indigenous life with
subsequent rounds of discussions being held with the indigenous guests. The selection of films
demonstrated the expertise of the artistic director Gunter Lange. He structured the event program in
such a way as to create an effective arc within the various film blocks using contextual relationships.
fig: Gunter Lange and Tantoo Cardinal talking to students at the Kommunale Kino in Stuttgart
Indianer Inuit: The North American Film Festival
Final Report 2007
www.nordamerika-filmfestival.com
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Successful Interaction of Expert Partners and Institutions
During the preparation and execution phases, the festival benefited from the successful interaction of
expert partners and institutions within Stuttgart with an interest in intercultural encounters. The
Kommunales Kino was able to import its broad experience, its professional cinematic technology and
its infrastructure. The supplementary program in the Linden Museum Stuttgart and the GermanAmerican Center/James – F. – Byrnes Institut complemented the festival perfectly and were popularly
received.
These events presented an opportunity to become better acquainted with the guests from the USA
and Canada, whether during the educational events where pedagogical issues were discussed about
how to teach the subject of indigenous cultures in the classroom, or through other special events
including the Hoop Dance performance by Naktoah LaRance, a young man from the Hopi tribe, who
not only is the several-time Junior Hoop Dance - champion, but a promising young actor too. A special
exhibition at the Linden-Museum showcased the artistic works of the parents of Naktoah LaRance Steve LaRance and Marian Denipah.
A further attraction was the evening program in the German-American Center with Joy Harjo, who
presented her skills as a multi-talented author and musician. Events such as these enabled the
indigenous guests to be focused upon as people who have much more to offer outside of the movie
business.
Fig Nakotha LaRance showing students
the technique of Hoop Dancing – here
at the Solitude-Gymnasium in Stuttgart-Weilimdorf
Indianer Inuit: The North American Film Festival
Final Report 2007
fig: Joy Harjo during her performance
at the German-American Center
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Intercultural Dialogue
Our indigenous guests are internationally recognized and have visited many film festivals in the past,
so it is particularly pleasing for us that the Indianer Inuit: The North American Film Festival in Stuttgart
was such a resounding success.
The festival was characterized by a high level of interest from the public, numerous informal fringe
discussions, encounters with school classes and teachers, and a relaxed atmosphere that proved so
conducive to the intercultural dialogue, far removed from the usual trappings of the film industry, which
are an ever-present feature of festivals in the USA and Canada. Due to the fact that, despite their
many accomplishments, these indigenous guests are not so well known by a European public, it was
possible for our guests to enjoy a very down-to-earth type of interaction with visitors to the festival.
And when not fulfilling their festival commitments, they were able to enjoy the inviting atmosphere of
the city of Stuttgart with its rich artistic and cultural offerings. Everyone expressed how impressed they
were by the cordiality of the locals and the wealth of cultural activities ongoing in the city.
fig: Greg Coyes meeting a street performer downtown Stuttgart
fig: Steve LaRance and Gregory Coyes visiting the World’s largest
Kuckucksuhr in Triberg (Blackforest)
Indianer Inuit: The North American Film Festival
Final Report 2007
www.nordamerika-filmfestival.com
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fig: Steve LaRance comunicating the cultural living of a Hopi
to a Schoolclass that visited the Linden-Museum in Stuttgart.
Indianer Inuit: The North American Film Festival
Final Report 2007
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