Songs My Brothers Taught Me

This was an early Zhao directed full length film using non-professional actors. There is little action and a loose plot, but the acting is real and thoroughly relatable. The setting is the Pine Ridge Reservation, and the cinematography is stunning. We are transported to the modern everyday lives of real people, real conflicts and real emotions. Some may say it is too slow, but like a long walk in nature on uneven ground and burrs in your socks, this film, this story, is well worth the patient effort.

Amazinglyl fantastic movie! So beautiful and moving! Go to see it now!

It´s one of the most amazing movies I´ve seen in the last few years! I strongly recommend it!

This is a film about the indigineous people of America, which is what the director (Chloe Zhao) often focusses on - people on the outskirts of contemporary American culture, you could say, or else somewhat of a marginalised people. It has the look and feel of a documentary and it is sad to watch at times. I like the subtlety featured, which is continued in the directors later work. It deals with themes of rejection, adolescence and personal identity. It has less of a solid plotline type feel but its still a good watch, providing food for thought perhaps.

A beautiful piece of Indigenous cinema. If you enjoyed Nomadland you should check out this film.

One of the most fresh and exquisite directorial debuts I've seen, brought to life for its splendid unprofessional performances, filling the film with emotion and soul. A tale, almost a fable, of outsiders' lifes, a wonderful portrait of people never seen, ignored, omitted. There's this something in Chloé Zhao's style, something mystical and whimsical, as well as mesmerizing. Hypnotic

A timely (re-)release for Chloe Zhao's debut feature where you can see the future Oscar-winning director's signature style already taking shape. Favouring an observational neo-realist approach, she explores the lives of disenfranchised people who are lost and overlooked in the margins of society by using local non-professional actors playing versions of themselves. The story is simple and her use of music and dialogue economical, perhaps even sparse; and it now looks like a dress rehearsal for Nomadland. Set within a Native American reservation area in South Dakota, Johnny is a high-schooler and part time bootlegger who's planning his escape to LA with his girlfriend who's heading there for college. A dilemma arises as this means leaving his young sister Jashaun behind with their single mom and a family that's slowly disintegrating. Bravely opening the film mid-action without titles, it throws us in the deep end immediately, as it slowly teases out the characters' background and relationships that are commonplace within that community but may not conform to what we are familiar with. In fact, inspirations were taken from the non-professional actors' real life circumstances, which adds texture to the film as the line between fact and fiction blurs. Another crucial element already in place is her collaboration with cinematographer Joshua James Richard. Their exquisite compositions and the manner they capture the majestic landscape that engulfs the comparatively miniscule lives of these marginalized characters create a melancholic atmosphere that's beautiful and poignant; even though the sumptuous but frequent use of the golden hour lighting can be a little repetitive after a while. This is a quiet and unassuming film where the story is allow to coalesce organically in the minds of its audience; as a result, it's engaging, enlightening and authentic, even if the acting is not the most professionally done.

It's great. Yes to be clear, it clearly checks all the boxes of a naturalistic drama about life on reservation but does it with its own identity and thanks to touching main characters. The directing is not too obvious but always where it needs to be, the cine;atography makes a great use of golden hour lights on the beautiful landscapes of the lakota reservation and there's also that most of the time discreet yet really striking and powerful score to help elevate the drama to high emotional level. A slow paced movie yet a powerhouse of its genre.

Este fue el comienzo de la deslumbrante directora Chloé Zhao, una película llena de sensibilidad y con un protagónico espectacular encarnado por Jashaun St. John, una pequeña que sintetiza en su expresión la tristeza de los pueblos nativos de norte América. Una gran dirección y un buen guion.

Sentimental and intimate, this underrated indie gem centering in a believable family in an underrepresented group makes you wonder and hope for the best with the up and coming director. (Ehem eternals)