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“Free Leonard Peltier,” the new documentary about the imprisoned Indigenous activist, whose life sentence was just commuted to house imprisonment by President Joe Biden days before this film’s Sundance premiere, is a useful primer for viewers new to his case. But it’s not much of a film, and it’s even unclear what kind of film its directors Jesse Short Bull and David France wish it to be.

This is a documentary as a textbook — we’d say it’s like a Wikipedia summary, except checking actual Wikipedia is almost essential for making sense of certain events presented in “Free Leonard Peltier” — providing a broad overview without delving deeper into the humanity of Peltier or why his story matters. It opens in the near-present with Native American activists coming to Washington to plead Peltier’s case, one even saying that overturning Peltier’s conviction has not just been...

Sacheen Littlefeather made Oscars history in 1973 when she became the first Native woman to stand on stage at the awards ceremony. When Marlon Brando was named best actor for “The Godfather,” Littlefeather declined the prize on behalf of him, as he had boycotted the Oscars in protest of Hollywood’s portrayal of Native Americans. Met with both boos and cheers, she was escorted off the stage.

But her 60-second Oscar speech was life-changing for her, as well as others. “He very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award,” Littlefeather said to an audience of millions in her 1973 speech. “And the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry… and on television in movie re-runs, and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee.”

Now, 50 years later, Littlefeather has received a letter of apology from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. And this weekend,...

Reel-Important People is a monthly column that highlights those individuals in or related to the movies that have left us in recent weeks. Below you'll find names big and small and from all areas of the industry, though each was significant to the movies in his or her own way. Dennis Banks (1937-2017) - Native American Activist, Actor. He appears in The Last of the Mohicans and Older Than America, as himself in Thunderheart and the documentaries Incident at Oglala and Sing Your Song. He was also the subject of the 2010 doc A Good Day to Die. He died on October 29. (Star Tribune) Ben Bates (1933-2017) - Stunt Man. In addition to doing stunts for TV's Gunsmoke and the movie The White Buffalo, he also played...

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Champion of Native American rights across five decades

On 27 February 1973, members and supporters of the American Indian Movement (Aim), mostly Lakota Sioux, occupied the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota – the site of what is sometimes described as the last battle of the Indian wars, where in December 1890 the Us 7th Cavalry, the regiment led by General Custer at the Little Big Horn, massacred some 350 Lakota, mostly women and children.

The 300 protesters were soon surrounded by some 800 federal marshals, FBI agents and national guardsmen in a siege that lasted 71 days and led to the deaths of two Native Americans, one a Cherokee, and left one agent paralysed.

As the spokesman for Aim brought to Washington to negotiate, Russell Means, who has died aged 72 after suffering from throat cancer, became the leading face of Native Americans. Viewed as the most notorious Indian since Sitting Bull, he assumed a position of de...

Sioux Falls, S.D. — Russell Means never shunned attention. Whether leading Native Americans in railing against broken federal treaties, appearing in a Hollywood blockbuster or advocating a sovereign American Indian nation within U.S. borders, the activist who helped lead the 1973 uprising at Wounded Knee reveled in the spotlight.

But it was only on his terms. Openly critical of mainstream media, the onetime leader of the American Indian Movement often refused interviews and verbally blasted journalists who showed up to cover his public appearances. Instead, he chose to speak to his fan base through YouTube videos and blog posts on his personal website.

When he did speak out publicly, he remained steadfast in his defense of Aim. He found himself dogged for decades by questions about the group's alleged involvement in the slaying of a tribe member and the several gun battles with federal officers during the 71-day occupation of Wounded Knee,...

Netflix has revolutionized the home movie experience for fans of film with its instant streaming technology. Netflix Nuggets is my way of spreading the word about independent, classic and foreign films made available by Netflix for instant streaming.

This Week’s New Instant Releases… Title: Black Heaven (2010)

Streaming Available: 04/12/2011

Cast: Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet, Louise Bourgoin, Melvil Poupaud, Pauline Etienne, Pierre Niney, Ali Marhyar, Patrick Descamps, Pierre Vittet, Swann Arlaud, Francesco Merenda

Director: Gilles Marchand

Synopsis: While searching for the owner of a missing mobile phone with his girlfriend, Marion (Pauline Etienne), Gaspard (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet) falls for the mysterious Sam (Louise Bourgoin), who draws him into a dangerous virtual-reality video game, where she provokes unsuspecting victims into killing themselves. Directed by Gilles Marchand, this intense French drama alternates between real-life events and those within the simulated computer world. Title: Heartless (2009)

Streaming Available: 04/12/2011

Cast: Jim Sturgess, Clémence Poésy , Noel Clarke, Luke Treadaway, Justin Salinger,...