“WHY WE DANCE “ - MSPIFF EARLY MINI-REVIEW

WHY WE DANCE is a visually arresting chronicle of Indigenous dance, filmed at community events both public and private, with interviews from people around the world, from the Badlands to Iowa to Oahu to Mexico. 

Over the course 76 minutes, with its dynamic, gorgeous cinematography and its matter-of-fact and moving accounts laced with humor and heart, WHY WE DANCE shares the evolution of fancy dancing over the years, the negative assumptions of a fearful government, the injustice and absurdity of buying land back despite the fact that it was always theirs, and of course, their beautifully defiant dance; the joy of movement, sound, dance regalia and color, and the pride that is part of remembering and celebrating and reclaiming one’s heritage.

WHY WE DANCE will screen publicly as part of the 45th annual Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF) on Sunday, April 12 at 7pm and again on Saturday, April 18 at 4:15pm. The film’s director Oogie_Push (who also appears in the film and was born and raised on Iowa’s Meskwaki settlement) will be present for its screenings, as well as two panels (Doc Shop: From Inspiration to Distribution on Saturday April 11th, and Indigenous Storytelling on Saturday, April 18th at noon).

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Zach is a proud member of the Minnesota Film Critics Association (MNFCA). For more info about Zach, the organization, or to read other great reviews from other great Minnesota-based film critics, click here: www.mnfca.com