Synopsis
This complex portrait of modern-day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation explores the bond between a brother and his younger sister, who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home.
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Cast
- John ReddyJohnny Winters
- Jashaun St. JohnJashaun Winters
- Irene BedardLisa Winters
- Eléonore HendricksAngie Britt
- Taysha FullerAurelia Clifford
- Travis Lone HillTravis Lone Hill
- Dakota BrownDakota Fire Thunder
- Cat CliffordCat Clifford
- Kevin HunterKevin Winters
- Derrick JanisVictor Chasing Hawk
Recommendations
- 80
Screen Daily
It may not qualify as a movie entertainment in the full sense of the word, but it is most certainly an edifying picture of social stagnation at its saddest. - 70
The New York Times
You come at the story, such as it is, as a visitor from the outside world, picking up information as the movie goes along. This approach impedes comprehension, and at moments you may be tempted to sit back and not try to make the pieces fit. For those unwilling to make the effort, Songs My Brothers Taught Me has other rewards. - 70
Village Voice
The performances are undeniably authentic, the cinematography could make Terrence Malick stand to give a slow clap, and sometimes a sensitive mood and evocative milieu are enough to sustain when there's barely a plot. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
The balance of humanistic and ethnographic filmmaking with poignant, often seemingly unscripted drama has many rewards. - 70
Variety
A sparely plotted, low-key but ultimately rewarding slice of South Dakota reservation life. - 67
The A.V. Club
Viewers will be torn between admiring its laid-back naturalism and wishing it possessed just a little more oomph. - 63
RogerEbert.com
The story’s ending, complete with lyrical voice-over, conveys the beauty and emotional attraction of the place and its traditions, virtues also relayed by Joshua James Richard’s sumptuous, sometimes breathtaking cinematography. - 63
New York Post
Where Zhao excels is in the range of emotions she gets from a mostly nonprofessional cast.
