Lilly Gladstone in the AFI Film Festival nominated live action short, Little Chief.
LOS ANGELES, CA (LA ELEMENTS) 11/7/2020 – Sharon, a young teacher, (Lilly Gladstone) nervously smokes a cigarette outside the door of a hotel/casino in the opening shot of Little Chief. As a patron exits, she swiftly dashes inside and makes a beeline towards a housekeeping cart, hastily stuffing her canvas bag with toiletries meant for paying guests. Mission accomplished, she exits the hotel and continues her drive to work. A drive that reveals the bleakness of the Oklahoma Indian reservation where she lives. A drive that is interrupted by the sight of Bear, (Julian Ballentyne) one of her students, walking along the same road on his way to their school, Turkey Ford Elementary.
Surprised to see the boy walking alone by himself in the cold morning without a jacket, Sharon offers him a ride and a sweatshirt for warmth. She soon discovers that Bear was supposed to get a ride to school with Dale, his mom’s boyfriend. However, Dale has resumed his drinking and wasn’t up to the task. When they arrive at the school, Sharon gives Bear the rolls of toilet paper that she took from the casino and instructs him to put them in the bathrooms. She distributes the rest of the toiletries to the lunch ladies in the cafeteria. Then, finally, she can begin her day as a teacher.
Alcoholism has been known to plague a number of Native American communities, so, it’s not surprising that it factors into the life of Bear. What is also not surprising for a child whose home life is so chaotic, is that Bear keeps to himself. Unfortunately, this results in him being laughed at and teased by his classmates in a manner that borders on bullying.
Sharon is undoubtedly devoted to her students. As the opening scene reveals, she’s not afraid to, shall we say. go to somewhat creative lengths to make sure that they get the material things that they need. And like all great teachers of elementary school kids, she can call them out on their silliness without hurting their feelings. But the question that looms over this film is, can she help Bear? A boy who is gentle and sensitive and who is already starting to act out in frustration over forces he can’t control. A boy who is very much in danger of having his life defined by them. What heroic measures can Sharon possibly take that would make everything right for Bear again?
The insightful performances by Gladstone and Ballentyne, powers this quiet film towards the impact that it ultimately makes and the truth that it ultimately reveals. A truth well known to many of the best teachers around: Sometimes simply showing up every day for their students, just might be the most heroic act of all.
The AFI Fest nominated film, Little Chief, screened as part of the Live Action Short Film program. We reached out to director Erica Tremblay to discover more about the making of Little Chief. Here is what she had to say:
How did you find the actors for your film?
I come from a documentary background, so casting was the most difficult part of the process for me. I had seen Lily Gladstone in Kelly Reichardt’s Certain Women, and I just went for it. I emailed her and introduced myself and the project, and when she accepted, I squealed with joy. She is so exceptionally talented and generous. Julia Ballentyne is a young boy from Six Nations in Canada, and I met him when I was there studying my indigenous language. He had such a great energy and is so talented. The rest of the students are all members of the Seneca-Cayuga nation. It was so great to get to spend time with them collaborating on this film.
While there aren’t many film or TV projects that feature Native American actors in lead roles, which have been some of your favorites? Who are the directors that you admire and why?
I am a huge fan of Sterlin Harjo’s work. Four Sheets to the Wind and Mekko are both incredible. Elle-Maija Tailfeathers, The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, is my favorite film of the year. There are a lot of amazing indigenous directors out there making fantastic films.
The character of Sharon-we loved her! Her strength and empathy really came through. Was there a teacher in your life that may have inspired this character?
Yes! There are certain stories I find myself telling over and over again and I love talking about my mother and the work she does in our Native community. She has been an educator for most of my life, and she has sacrificed so much to provide safety and knowledge to our youth. Growing up, these sacrifices were just the reality that I knew, and it wasn’t until I was much older that I realized the unique set of challenges she faces as an Indigenous woman teaching indigenous children. There is a real lack of understanding about modern Native America and Little Chief offers a simple exploration of one reality set against the complicated constructs in which it exists.
Do you see certain issues as being unique to Native American youth and if so, what are they?
I am gonna skip this one just because I tried answering it and then realized I don’t feel qualified to give an answer for my entire community. I hope that’s ok!
That would be more than ok. You yourself were raised in Missouri as a member of the Seneca Cayuga nation. What were your school experiences like?
I went to Seneca schools my entire life. It was an interesting experience growing up in a rural and conservative area. I spent most of my childhood wanting to leave and experience the world and now that I am out on my ow, I’m always wishing I were home.
What were you hoping to accomplish with Little Chief?
Little Chief is a love letter to my mother and all of the other matriarchs in my life who are working through their own trauma in order to heal themselves and others in our community. It is this exhaustive work that ensures our future as a people. We are still feeling the resounding impact of the residential school era, and it is paramount that we take back our classrooms and provide culturally specific teachings. Little Chief was an opportunity for me to highlight that incredible work and explore the challenges that our teachers and students face every day.
Little Chief
Directer: Erica Tremblay
Writer: Erica Tremblay
Producer: Deidre Backs
Kasia Chmielinski
Cinematographer: Marshall Stief
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