Amidst the Black Hills territory of South Dakota, the Lakota Nation have fought for generations to wrest back control of land that is rightfully theirs. In this poetic nonfiction film from directors Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli, learn the true story of a broken treaty, a population forced into reservations, and a deadly presidential proclamation. —M.G. Showcasing the mission to reclaim the Black Hills of South Dakota, LAKOTA NATION VS. UNITED STATES is an urgent and intellectually vivid study of centuries of injustice against Indigenous communities and the sacred land they claim. In an evocative and wide-reaching assemblage of footage, this documentary intensely envelops the audience to confront prescient questions about the ongoing violation of Indigenous people and America’s history of overlooking its wrongdoing. Poetic in its visual storytelling and galvanizing in its sobering historical accounts, the film profoundly interrogates what can be done to restore justice from a violent past and reset the narrative for the future. —C.F.

Lakota Nation vs. United States

Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition

Reel Women Direct Award for Excellence in Directing By a Woman

These films elevate stories, topics, and themes that are embedded in Indigenous communities around the world.