Want to see Lily Gladstone in “Fancy Dance”? It needs distribution

It’s been quite a journey for director Erica Tremblay and her film “Fancy Dance” to get the project distributed. It tells the story of an Aboriginal woman (played by Lily Gladstone) trying to solve her sister’s disappearance while simultaneously caring for her teenage niece.

A film written and directed by women, narrated by indigenous creatives (Tremblay is a member of the Seneca-Cayuga nation) and starring one of the year’s most in-demand actresses in Gladstone, who is drawing Oscar talk for her role in Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Killers of the Moonflower’ should make Companies are working hard to offer it. However, this does not happen.

Tremblay’s frustration comes from having to do all the work required to get her film in front of people.

“There’s a checklist that you’re given, especially when you’re making your first film,” Tremblay said. That involves developing a strong script, putting it in the hands of great producers — like Nina Yang Bongiovi, who produced “Fancy Dance” — getting great actors and putting it in front of top festivals. “Fancy Dance” screened at the Sundance and South by Southwest Film Festivals.

The director isn’t sure where this hesitation comes from, but he hopes it’s not because Killers of the Flower Moon makes Hollywood think it’s covered up all Indigenous stories.

“There was a moment when someone said, ‘Well, is Dark Winds going to be able to live with Reservation Dogs?’ Tremblay said, referring to the original projects at AMC and Hulu, respectively. “And I was like, ‘What?’ “You wouldn’t even be able to compare two white people’s shows. They’re so different.”

If anything, the hesitation could stem from a general decline in film acquisitions due to a weak cinema market. Tremblay believes that’s the crux of the matter more than anything else.

“It’s been a tough year specifically for independent film,” she said. “Buyers aren’t buying a ton of films. I have a lot of colleagues (who) we’ve traveled along this festival circuit together, and a lot of them haven’t found a home for their film yet.”

“The hardest thing to deal with is the fact that if we don’t find the right distribution partner, the movie won’t find an audience,” Tremblay told TheWrap. “And to me, that’s very sad, because you look at these films that are being made about similar themes by non-Native filmmakers, mostly white, who are finding an audience.”

Tremblay didn’t mention any one movie, admitting she’s a fan of Scorsese’s “Killers.” The problem is the continued mentality that only one film can represent a marginalized community at a time, as well as the constant focus on showing indigenous people in danger. “There is a real commodification to Indigenous pain and trauma,” Tremblay said.

“This is something that we, as an industry, and we as a society, have to ask ourselves. Why is this what we want to watch over and over again?” Tremblay made an active decision not to show the body and not go into detail about the violence. “I’m more interested in seeing original characters moving through those worlds rather than the action Through white guilt.”

Tremblay said she was under no illusions that as a first-time director, she had to prove herself. But it’s hard not to wonder how much more “Fancy Dance” would have been given the same level of financial support and resources as “Flower Moon,” which had a budget of $200 million.

“If we had even a fraction of those resources for less than 1%, we could really make a moment for this film that was made by Indigenous people, made by women, made by queer people,” Tremblay said.

But, regardless, Tremblay hopes the studio will find the film and pick it up for distribution, even if it’s primarily because of Lily Gladstone.

“Everyone wants more Lily Gladstone,” Tremblay said. “We know we made a good movie. We know we made a movie that should have a moment on the streaming platform, and we hope it does. I want my mom and aunts to come home and my cousins ​​to watch Killers (of the Flower Moon) and Fancy Dance.”