Watching Barking Waters, Four Sheets to the Wind, and Doe Boy as lenses into contemporary Indian subjects and culture was one of my favorite parts of the study abroad experience. The films were all entertaining and enriching, but mostly, they were the first of may experiences that put Indian art on the map for me.

Sterlin Harjo’s Barking Waters was a true piece of art. The plot moves along slowly, which allows the actors and landscapes to paint a picture of Frankie and Irene’s road trip. The filming Harjo did for this movie is just amazing, and some of the shots (think of the one with the peeling paint on the stop sign) really reveal the artistry behind filmmaking. The film deals with the themes of interrupted love and discovering what “home” really is. Irene has agreed to drive a sick Frankie home to see his grandbaby before he dies, even though their relationship ended long ago. Yet, they are brought back together by circumstance, which forces Irene to deal with their love which has never actually gone away. When Frankie dies in the car, just a day away from his daughters house and holding Irene’s hand (as requested), it is apparent that for him, this is where home is – with Irene. It is not about meeting his grandbaby; it’s about being with Irene and “introducing” her to his family. Though the film is sad, it is also hopeful and beautiful, and I would recommend it to many.

Four Sheets to the Wind, also by Harjo, is faster-paced and more similar to other contemporary feature-films. Though it is still clearly a work of art, this film is more plot-oriented and improved by better acting. Despite being a “better” movie, I do not necessarily prefer it over Barking Waters. Four Sheets to the Wind also deals with more stereotypical Indian problems, such as alcoholism and estrangement from family members in a constructive way. I was very entertained by the film. Although it was sad (like every film we watched), I did find it a bit more uplifting.

Doe Boy is a more “professional” movie that I think could be marketed to a large audience. It mainly deals with the Indian concept of blood. A topic of interest among American Indian communities is blood – what kind and how much Indian blood you have. What they are not referring to, however, is the blood running through our veins, but rather a concept of heritage. For Hunter, a hemophiliac, blood is what is keeping him back, preventing him from living up to his name and Indian heritage. Hunter’s character can be frustrating at times (it sometimes appears that he is creating his own misery), but his tragic story is eventually one of perseverance and creating one’s own destiny. His father’s death coincides with his discovery that he might have been infected with HIV, and out of these tragedies, Hunter is able to discover himself as an Indian and come to terms (kind of) with his disease. I can see why some of my classmates disliked the film – it is extremely sad and Hunter is not always likable. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the film, as well as the two others, and value these glances into modern Indian lives.