Photo by Doug Stutler

There are beautiful, harsh landscapes in this film.  Both internal and external. The struggles and beauty of the Northern environment (a Mohawk reservation on the border between New York State and Quebec) mirror the characters’ emotional and literal journeys.  Two single moms are the main characters, and upon first glance the two couldn’t be more different.  One’s Caucasian and works in a dollar store; one’s Native American and works border-smuggling people.  When they’re thrown together, a lot of inherent tension because of their different backgrounds.  How these disparities are explored and overcome is part of the beauty of this film.  The concept of tribal justice is gently and powerfully portrayed at a crucial point in the story.  I’d heard of the term before, but vaguely thought it meant a vigilante-type system; delivered with anger and unwarranted violence. Turns out it’s instead a simple system of reparation involving tribal members hearing both sides of an issue and applying corrective action on a case-by-case basis.  Enjoy great acting and a riveting plot with this movie.  HR

Photo by Hannah Amodeo