Powwow People. 2025. USA. Directed by Sky Hopinka. With Ruben Little Head, Gina Bluebird, Freddie Cozad, Jamie John, Shaandiin Tome, Jacque Clark. New York premiere. DCP. 88 min.
The long-awaited second feature by artist and filmmaker Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk/Pechanga) grounds vérité-style documentary in the rhythm and relationships of contemporary Native life. Working with a group of collaborators, Hopinka invited singers, drummers, and dancers from across the powwow circuit, along with vendors and community members, to participate in a gathering at Seattle’s Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center. The participatory ethos is immersive and kinetic, as Hopinka and cinematographer Shaandiin Tome’s cameras move through this intimate space. Shot over three days but edited to unfold from morning to nightfall—from event preparations, to the Tiny Tots dance, to the men’s competition, which culminates in a continuous 30-minute shot of a Northern Traditional dance special—the powwow resonates as a celebration of tradition across generations and a living form animated by those, Hopinka included, bringing it into the future.