In 2022, it was estimated that more than 4,200 cases of missing or murdered Indigenous women remained unsolved in the US. To make a film that explores this injustice with dignity and authenticity is no mean feat. To make a film that does so, and still has the joy of Native American culture shine through is a marvel. That’s what the team behind Apple TV’s Fancy Dance (which was written, directed and acted by a Native American cast) has achieved.
The film stars Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone as Jax, a Seneca Cayuga woman who finds herself the primary caregiver to her niece, Roki, after her sister goes missing. While battling the child protection agent who is threatening to hand Roki over to her semi-estranged white grandparents, Jax makes a promise that her mum will return by the next powwow – an event at the core of Indigenous life in the US.
As our reviewer, professor of American studies Jacqueline Fear-Segal explains, Fancy Dance is a powerful, disquieting film that allows culture, resilience, humour and love to take centre stage.
