"It can sometimes feel like our communities are in a constant state of mourning, like there aren't enough tears to cry about every single tragedy. Being able to laugh is important. Native humor is part of why we survived. It's allowing yourself to feel a little bit of joy in a moment that might otherwise break you." Kiowa-Apache comic Adrianne Chalepah

The above quote is contained in Kliph Nesteroff's new book "We Had a Little Real Estate Problem: The Unheralded Story of Native Americans & Comedy". Based on the title, you might be wondering why I would feature Nesteroff's book in a Drama Movies newsletter. "We Had a Little Real Estate Problem" goes beyond the field of comedy to explore the history of Native American representation in all media, beginning in the nineteenth century.

What surprised me was that as early as 1911, American Indians were protesting the stereotypes propagated in films. In that year, a delegation traveled to Washington to meet with President Taft, mainly in response to the movie "Curse of the Redman". The book also details the film career of Will Rogers, widely hailed as one of America's greatest humorists but whose Cherokee heritage often goes unmentioned.

The life story of Charlie Hill, the first Native comedian to appear on network television, is woven throughout the narrative of Nesteroff's book. Hill, a member of the Oneida Nation, tried acting when the comedy boom of the 1980s faded. He frequently turned down roles he considered degrading, so his career was limited to guest spots on series television. The title of Nesteroff's book is one of Hill's signature punchlines and many of the comedians profiled credit Hill as their inspiration. "We Had a Little Real Estate Problem" transcends the comedy genre, however, and belongs on the bookshelf of anyone who values a wider perspective on film history and American history.


Here's the latest article from the Drama Movies site at BellaOnline.com.

Those Who Remain Film Review
French actress Anne Le Ny made her debut as a writer-director with "Those Who Remain". Vincent Lindon and Emmanuelle Devos star as two very different personalities who comfort each other when their partners are diagnosed with cancer.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art307741.asp

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