Red Fever

Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond and Catherine Bainbridge (Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World) team up again for the follow-up to their award-winning documentary Reel Injun. Diamond travels to the corners of Turtle Island and across the Atlantic to dig into the world’s historical fascination with Indigenous Peoples. From fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi drawing inspiration from Nanook of the North to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School’s impact on the NFL, Diamond assembles a compelling collage packed with pop-culture references. Examples of appropriation are revisited by Indigenous scholars, artists and community members, who are revitalizing their cultures and dispelling the myths and lack of understanding that have persisted for more than a century. Clothing, sports, systems of government and agricultural practices all have clear lines to Indigenous ways of knowing and being. As a new generation of Indigenous Peoples draws strength from their ancestors and reclaims their rights, there’s hope for a future where credit is given where it’s due.