Te Ata Screened at the Topeka Public Library
This was screened in Topeka because the screenwriter is a local woman, Esther Luttrell! She did a small presentation and Q&A after the screening.
The story is the early life of Mary Frances (Thompson) Fisher, a Chickasaw woman born in the late 1890s when Oklahoma was still "Indian Territory". It follows her through her childhood, teens, young adulthood and college years and the start of her relationship with the man who would become her husband. At a time when expressions of Native American culture were outlawed, she sang, danced and told stories of her people before presidents and royalty.
I can see why this film has won several film festivals over the last year, and getting glimpses of the way that the story was brought into film was fascinating. I had no idea of the changes that happen between the screenplay and the final film release. I love that most of the dialogue and all of the 'read' letters in the soundtrack came directly from historic and period sources. Esther had access to Mary Frances' diaries and letters and also her mother's.
The cinematography was beautiful. Having just been in Eastern Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago, the landscapes in the film really resonated with me. The reoccurring themes of 'water as the birth/change' and 'the white dog as the spirit guide' were subtle, but commanding. Even when they are dissonant - in the scenes in New York City while she is breaking onto Broadway, you can tell Te Ata is still connected to her roots.
Costuming should be given a mention. Both the stage, native, and 'white world' dress rang true. As she gets older, and moves east to college and then Broadway, you can see the fashion change through both time and culture. The scene where she is first coming to college was especially notable for the statement that the costuming makes. Mary Frances is not fully acculturated into the white world at this point; her hair is in traditional braids and she carries a beaded 'squaw bag' instead of a purse, but her blouse and skirt are very similar to those worn by her 'white girl' roommate, Margaret. (After a rocky beginning, they become life long friends and artistic collaborators, with Margaret providing musical back up for Mary Frances' stage shows.)
The love story, and her relationship with Clyde Fisher is a love story, is nicely done, no gratuitous bare flesh. I loved that he was a poly-math, a nerd of the first order, and she loved him anyway. And the scene between Clyde and Mr. Thompson is hilarious without needing to be comedic. "Same woman."
One for the personal collection when it comes out on DVD.
This was screened in Topeka because the screenwriter is a local woman, Esther Luttrell! She did a small presentation and Q&A after the screening.
The story is the early life of Mary Frances (Thompson) Fisher, a Chickasaw woman born in the late 1890s when Oklahoma was still "Indian Territory". It follows her through her childhood, teens, young adulthood and college years and the start of her relationship with the man who would become her husband. At a time when expressions of Native American culture were outlawed, she sang, danced and told stories of her people before presidents and royalty.
I can see why this film has won several film festivals over the last year, and getting glimpses of the way that the story was brought into film was fascinating. I had no idea of the changes that happen between the screenplay and the final film release. I love that most of the dialogue and all of the 'read' letters in the soundtrack came directly from historic and period sources. Esther had access to Mary Frances' diaries and letters and also her mother's.
The cinematography was beautiful. Having just been in Eastern Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago, the landscapes in the film really resonated with me. The reoccurring themes of 'water as the birth/change' and 'the white dog as the spirit guide' were subtle, but commanding. Even when they are dissonant - in the scenes in New York City while she is breaking onto Broadway, you can tell Te Ata is still connected to her roots.
Costuming should be given a mention. Both the stage, native, and 'white world' dress rang true. As she gets older, and moves east to college and then Broadway, you can see the fashion change through both time and culture. The scene where she is first coming to college was especially notable for the statement that the costuming makes. Mary Frances is not fully acculturated into the white world at this point; her hair is in traditional braids and she carries a beaded 'squaw bag' instead of a purse, but her blouse and skirt are very similar to those worn by her 'white girl' roommate, Margaret. (After a rocky beginning, they become life long friends and artistic collaborators, with Margaret providing musical back up for Mary Frances' stage shows.)
The love story, and her relationship with Clyde Fisher is a love story, is nicely done, no gratuitous bare flesh. I loved that he was a poly-math, a nerd of the first order, and she loved him anyway. And the scene between Clyde and Mr. Thompson is hilarious without needing to be comedic. "Same woman."
One for the personal collection when it comes out on DVD.
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