Review of The Activist (2014) by Vanessa K — 06 Jan 2014

I recently caught a screening of this film at the Egyptian theater in Hollywood. I was very impressed with the performances, the script, the visually striking cinematography and the way in which the director creates and builds tension. I also loved the score and was not in the least surprised to discover that the director of the film is also an award-winning composer. It's an intimate film that focuses on the plight of two Native American men who are arrested and held in a county jail for an extended period of time during the Wounded Knee insurrection of 1973. The depiction of the relationship between these men and the two police officers working in the small county jail is extremely nuanced, illustrating such a range of emotion. The ensemble cast in general does a terrific job. It's a small film that manages to tell a very large story in a simple, moving and entertaining way.

The film is available on iTunes and I highly recommend you watch it! I'm looking forward to the film's theatrical premiere in LA on March 7th, 2014 at the Arena Theater on Las Palmas.