November 11, 2008 Fringe Arts

An interview with Fanny Bräuning

Director of No More Smoke Signals

by Christopher Olson

Fanny Bräuning’s documentary, No More Smoke Signals, deals with the inhabitants of Pine Ridge, South Dakota, and how they’re lives were transformed not only by the lasting effects of the occupation of Wounded Knee, but the town’s first radio station.

The Link: I was wondering if the fact that you’re from Switzerland aided in making the movie, or if the Lakota people were resistant to American filmmakers documenting their lives?

In terms of approaching “the subject” as a filmmaker, there certainly was a difference, as there is more distance between us, I am coming from a place that is not at all involved in either of the sides, or the history, so my looking at them is certainly different.

I don't know how it would have been for an american filmmaker. There probably was a little less [mistrust] towards us, by less negative experiences between the two nations (Switzerland and Lakota). And often the first thing people said to us, when we told we were from Switzerland, was: “Oh, Geneva, the United Nations,” so maybe generally, Switzerland represents something more positive than the US., where they are still exposed to a lot of racism, too.

Roxanne Two Bulls makes a comment about not allowing cameras to film native ceremonies, but no one seemed to reject appearing on film anywhere else in the movie. Was there any difficulty in getting the people of Pine Ridge to consent to appearing on tape?

Not being able to film ceremonies was a general rule. Besides that it had been at times very difficult to film other moments, and the reasons often given to me for that was bad experience[s] they had made in the past, also with other “white"” film teams, especially on the memorial ride, and a general feeling of broken trust towards “non-natives,” which isn't hard to understand. Also, I found people to be very shy--unless we got to know each other--and so on public places and events, that was more difficult, which was the complete opposite to our experiences with “white” America.

What was the ritual significance of the smoke and incense in the radio station in the film’s beginning?

Every morning, when the radio station is opened they burn sage to thank the spirits, ask for protection, keep negative spirits away/out. This ritual is also in the film later, when the White Plume family goes to the court of appeals, and on the memorial ride, when every morning before they leave, sage is burned and the riders and horses are being saged, for protection, a safe journey. It’s used in many ceremonies, too.

I thought it was interesting how the younger generation of Lakota people have adopted cultural forms of resistance from rap music, in an attempt to reject broader American culture.

Yes, and I met an old lakota grandma one time who told me she liked this rap music too, as the beat was the same as the beat of their powwow drum.

Has Kili Radio returned to the air since it was struck by lightning (as mentioned after the film credits), and do you know how the people of the Lakota nation have done without it for so long?

Yes, it's back on air. For a while it [was] completely off, then they went back on with low power for awhile, only being able to be received very nearby. People missed it a lot.

Why leave the information about the loss of John Trudell’s family until the end of the film?

Because I don't think it really is necessary for being able to understand the situation in Pine Ridge, the conditions that people live in, their struggles, wounds and hopes--and telling that early would have crushed everything else. It was important for me to start the film with the people and their life today, so that one gets to know them first, and from there on getting deeper and deeper into the[ir] history, politics and what happened. The way the film is edited, it really is told around the radio station, and the stories and background information are linked to the station and the town.

But I found the loss of his family is, of course, an important piece of information [to be included in the film]. You don't need to know it to be able to listen to what John says, but when you know it, there is a deeper understanding of it all.

No More Smoke Signals will be screened on Monday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m., Room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve. For a full list of screenings, visit http://cinemapolitica.org/concordia.

For the film’s website, visit http://www.distantlights.ch/no_more_smoke_signals_story.html.