“ᎤᏕᏲᏅ (What They’ve Been Taught) - A New Film At Sundance

DON'T MISS ᎤᏕᏲᏅ AT SUNDANCE “One of my favorite films of 2022.” “ᎤᏕᏲᏅ (What They’ve Been Taught) is wise beyond words. It maybe 10 minutes but it has a lifetime of wisdom in it. One of the best of the year as well as Sundance.” “The film is an exploration of life and our responsibility for being part of this world…This is a magnificent film that covers all sorts of life lessons as well as other things (like how language shapes our world). A must.” – Steve Kopian, Unseen Films ACCESSIBLE WORLDWIDE NOW THROUGH JAN. 30 ONLINE A film by Brit Hensel with Keli Gonzales exploring expressions of reciprocity in the Cherokee world brought to life through a story told by an elder and first language speaker. According to the Sundance Institute, Hensel is the first woman who is a citizen of Cherokee Nation to direct an official selection at the festival. ᎤᏕᏲᏅ (pronounced oo-de-yo-NUH) is one of seven films from season one of Reciprocity Project. All seven films will screen next month at the 2022 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, Montana (with the other six films having world premieres in addition to the second festival play for ᎤᏕᏲᏅ). Reciprocity Project is a co-production of Nia Tero and Upstander Project in association with REI Co-op Studios, which is working to create a paradigm shift that reframes our relationships to the Earth, other living beings, and one another. CLICK LINKS WATCH THE TRAILER FOR RECIPROCITY PROJECT SEASON 1 NOWHERE WATCH THE 'MEET THE ARTIST' VIDEO NOW HERE A FIRST LOOK  PRAISE FOR THE FILM “Brit Hensel weaves a tender and beautiful portrait of quiet yet necessary teachings that connect notions of land, home, and family, and shows us the ways in which the everyday is built upon layers of memories of the past, the joys of the present, and the hopes for the future.” – Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk Nation/Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians), Award-winning filmmaker ABOUT THE FILM ᎤᏕᏲᏅ (What They’ve Been Taught) explores expressions of reciprocity in the Cherokee world, brought to life through a story told by an elder and first language speaker. The film circles the intersection of tradition, language, land, and a commitment to maintaining balance. DIRECTOR'S QUOTE “It is important to us that ᎤᏕᏲᏅ includes the perspectives of western and eastern Giduwa (Cherokee) people. Although our communities are separated by distance, our collaboration on this film offers a balanced perspective of what reciprocity means to our people and how it’s actualized in our lives.” – Brit Hensel, director, 4th World Media Lab Fellow, 2022 Tulsa Artist Fellow, and works on the series Reservation Dogs on FX ᎤᏕᏲᏅ was created in collaboration with independent artists from both Cherokee Nation and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, filmed in North Carolina and Oklahoma. The film was produced by Taylor Hensel (Cherokee, who is also Brit’s sister), Adam Mazo, Kavita Pillay, and Tracy Rector as part of Reciprocity Project, which seeks to embrace the value of reciprocity through Indigenous perspectives via storytelling, film, podcasts, and other creative mediums. The ultimate goal of Reciprocity Project is to create a paradigm shift that reframes our relationships to the Earth, other living beings, and one another. Additional short films in the series will premiere in February 2022.