Diné Writers/Directors featured during Pueblo Film Festival

By Jason Morgan Edwards
Special to the Times

ALBUQUERQUE

Submitted
Ryan Begay

The Third Annual Pueblo Film Festival highlighted some of the Southwest’s wide variety of beauty and creativity during its weekend run.

The exhibition featured works from many different Tribes, in a variety of cinematic styles. Ryan Begay (Diné) and Felicia Nez (Diné) had two works each featured.

Begay showed off his directorial and writing skills, as well as his artistic vision, in his own short film, “IGNITE.”

He revealed that it was not exactly a new film, but it was not widely seen until it screened during the film festival. He explains the premise as, “It came out of seeing ourselves in a stagnant space. You get choked up when something bad happens. You want to react, but we don’t because it’s a cultural thing of not wanting to call attention to yourself.”

However, he appreciates that times and traditions have changed over the generations. “That spark is a full flame now. A lot of people are putting their voices out there,” he said. “That’s what it was, a call to action. That’s how I felt, starting out. I wanted to say something with the films that I’m going to be making.”

Submitted
Felicia Nez

Begay used a variety of powerful images to bring his vision to life.

The primary visual was a frenetic game of stickball, but instead of using the sounds of game, he used spoken-word poetry, as read by a former classmate at the Institute of American Indian Arts, for the dialogue and soundtrack.

The vocalist herself, Jamie Figueroa, appeared to be her own space as she spoke the words into a lone microphone in a boxing ring, a la LL Cool J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out.”

“The game of stickball is a competition, but those games were used to make a decision as well. It gets really rough out there. So I wanted to incorporate that. You get hit. It feels good, but it hurts, too. You don’t want to play anymore. But, you pick yourself up and continue. The way it plays out resonated with me.”