Trudell (2005)

Very disappointing...

Really Surprised!

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Don't listen to the negative reviews

I learned about racism thus: I was stretched out on a porch on a bright summer day (very possibly reading a comic book, though I can't say for sure at this late date). A black kid came cruising along on a bicycle. As he passed our house, I got up and went to the rail to watch him. He was moving fast, going downhill, and there was some question in my mind as to whether or not he would manage to maintain control of his bike as he reached the intersection at the bottom of the hill. He glanced over, saw me, and gave me the most hateful look I'd ever seen. "What you lookin' at, you White Cracker?" Momentarily nonplussed, I nonetheless responded in kind: "I'm lookin' at you- Graham Cracker!" He swung the bike around and I beat a hasty retreat indoors. When I asked my mother what a "White Cracker" was, she explained the Facts of Life to me. As it turns out, I'm part Irish and part Cherokee (50/50, or thereabouts). When I see something like TRUDELL, it resonates. It's just a matter of degree.

John Trudell and his work have been a profound personal and political inspiration to me since I first heard his poetry as a high school student 15 years ago. He has - along with many other activists and important leaders- helped to shape my political consciousness and inspire me to look at the world from a different perspective than what I was raised with.Heather Rae's film is a wonderful telling of the story not only of Trudell's life and philosophy/politics, but also an important part of the history of the United States and the struggles of indigenous peoples to survive. It is a history that has gone overlooked and diminished for FAR too long and deserves to be told by those who lived it rather than those who sought (and continue to seek) to destroy it. I extend my heart felt thanks to both Heather Rae and John Trudell for bringing this important film to light.

How to describe Trudell? He defies categorization and labels. He is simultaneously a leader, poet and prophet. His wisdom transcends the decades and even the centuries. His words give clarity to the problems of living under the dominant culture. Heather Rae's superb film illustrates Trudell's message in a memorable and experiential way. Those in the activist community should see this film to gain an even broader perspective. From his days broadcasting "Radio Free Alcatraz" on KPFA to his concerts performing "Bombs Over Baghdad," he gives voice to resistance to oppression and the need to honor the earth, lessons we sorely need to learn in this day and age of global climate change and petrocollapse.

I saw a version (don't know if any edits/changes have been made since) a little over a year ago at a screening in Boise, ID where it was announced the film had been selected for Sundance. I went in totally unprepared for what I was hit with and am forever changed by it. The film-making was truly exceptional and the subject is one of our country's most original thinkers. This is one worth seeing, you won't regret it. Trudell is a survivor and filmmaker Rae, over a period of several years, captured footage and interviews with an amazing range of people who saw him through it all. This film really does go through his life with detail and richness that allows the viewer inside. It's a life worth examining.