World Premiere scheduled for 18th March at the CPH:DOX Copenhagen International Documentary
Written and directed by Lisa Jackson, known for her ground-breaking cross-genre work, Wilfred Buck is a hybrid feature documentary that follows the extraordinary life story of the eponymous charismatic and irreverent Cree Elder, who overcame a harrowing history of displacement, racism and addiction by reclaiming ancestral star knowledge and ceremony.
The film serves as a rich mix of nostalgia and heritage as we navigate the indigenous communities across the American north. Cree is seen as a respected gentleman, who espouses a wealth of his knowledge upon those who wish to learn with a smile on his face and his effusive spirit radiating to all who encounter him.
Adapted from his freewheeling memoir I Have Lived Four Lives, a beat poet’s insider view of colonization that took Buck from the land to the streets to the stars, the film blends verité, archive and stylized re-enactments to reveal what it means to heal and reconnect with Indigenous knowledge that is as relevant today as ever.
The technique utilised is a mixture of documentary footage but also the knitting of library footage from the archives of Native Americans through televisual history to tell the stories Cree spoke of in his memoir. He speaks how a large group of people so built upon a foundation of community are now dispersed across the states with sun dances and rituals taking place all over the country.
Cree travels the country and we follow him as he drives the highways, he is an expressive talker but not a loud one. He talks with authority and assuredness combined with a passion and a somewhat yearning for what life could have been; yet this seeing new generations of people growing up gives him a push to improve their lives and learn from his mistakes.
You always find with documentaries or ask yourself a question as to why is this being produced, what lesson can be learnt from this viewing experience. The notion or hypothesis should be that the layman or blank canvas of a viewer can witness a story being told and you come out with a greater understanding of the subject at hand with a balanced argument. Wilfred Buck has had to overcome struggles and obstacles from societal circumstances which affected his own mind and being; yet those circumstances are not the reason he finds himself in despair, he recognises his own failings and being complicit in hitting rock bottom.
Beautiful camerawork around meteorites and rock formation along with space constellations that firmly the establishment and belief that we are all stars and in one with the universe. This melts into the work Buck does giving planetary lectures and inspiration through a greater understanding of our place in the universe.
Wilfred Buck premieres at the CPH:DOX festival on Monday 18th March.
My thanks to AR Publicity for the review opportunity.
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