Wounded Knee

On the night of February 27, 1973, a caravan of cars carrying 200 armed Oglala Lakota—led by American Indian Movement (AIM) activists—entered Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Reservation and quickly occupied buildings, cut off access, and took up defensive positions. When federal agents arrived, they declared, “The Indians are in charge of the town,” and a 71-day standoff ensued. Compiling an astonishing amount of archival film footage (notable for the key moments it captures) and firsthand accounts from participants, Stanley Nelson creates an immersive, comprehensive account of the occupation and its fascinating complexity. The Oglala Lakota sought redress of old grievances and broken treaties (just miles from the massacre of 1890) but also demanded the ouster of Pine Ridge tribal leader Dick Wilson, who governed through corruption and intimidation as he pursued deeply divisive policies of assimilation. Nelson also explores the climate of racism in border towns; the broad political context that shaped the AIM—its tactics, organization and ability to exploit the national media; and ultimately the role armed protest played in Native American self-conception. With its iconic images of Indians holding the government at bay, Wounded Knee not only brought national attention to an invisible community and its desperate conditions but contributed to the tribe's awakened sense of dignity and connection with their proud heritage.
CAST

Stanley Nelson - Stanley Nelson, recipient of a 2002 MacArthur Fellowship, is executive producer of Firelight Media. Nelson's work includes Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple; A Place of Our Own, which screened at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival; The Murder of Emmett Till, honored with a 2003 Sundance Special Jury Prize, Peabody Award, Primetime Emmy, and IDA Award; and Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind, which screened at Sundance in 2001. He also directed Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords, which won a DuPont-Columbia Silver Baton and the Sundance Film Festival's Freedom of Expression Award in 1999.

Screenings:

Fri. Jan 16 2:30 p.m. - WOUND163A Holiday Village Cinema III, Park City
Sat. Jan 17 6:00 p.m. - WOUND17BE Broadway Centre Cinemas VI, SLC
Mon. Jan 19 9:00 a.m. - WOUND19TM Temple Theatre, Park City
Thu. Jan 22 8:30 p.m. - WOUND223N Holiday Village Cinema III, Park City