| Credited cast: | |||
| John Reddy | ... | ||
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Jashaun St. John | ... | |
| Taysha Fuller | ... |
Aurelia Clifford
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| Eleonore Hendricks | ... |
Angie Britt
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Travis Lone Hill | ... |
Travis Lone Hill
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Cat Clifford | ... |
Cat Clifford
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| Irene Bedard | ... | ||
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Kevin Hunter | ... |
Kevin Winters
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Derrick Janis | ... |
Victor Chasing Hawk
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Dakota Brown | ... |
Dakota Fire Thunder
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Allen Reddy | ... |
Bill Britt
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Wambli BearRunner | ... |
Auntie Wambli
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George Dull Knife | ... |
Jorge Iron Bear
(as Jorge Dullknife)
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Shamauri Hawkins | ... |
Mo
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Lauren Janis | ... |
Lauren Janis
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With an older brother in jail and living with their single mother on Pine Ridge Reservation, Johnny and his sister Jashuan's lives develop new challenges when their absentee cowboy father suddenly dies. The loss prompts Johnny to strike out for Los Angeles, but would mean leaving behind his beloved sister. Written by Red Haircrow
The first 45 minutes or so of Songs might fool you into thinking you're watching another well-made, indie Sundance movie. Good, but nothing special.
And then as if by magic, the movie sucks you into its universe. Seemingly disjointed pieces of story start blending together to create a beautiful whole, a story full of despair and of hope, of ugliness and beauty. It floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee, eschewing political or social commentary for a poetic, equally effective approach. A story of brotherly love in a stunning and tragic landscape.
I'm not ashamed to say the final moments brought tears to my eyes. Beautifully shot, understated but powerful, SONGS is a really impressive, mature debut, and should be on your watch-list for this year.