Laura Tomaselli: Last News

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large AMC+’s “Lakota Nation vs. United States” landed two of the top awards on Thursday at the documentary portion of the News & Documentary Emmys, landing the kudos for best documentary and for outstanding direction: documentary. The doc was directed by Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli and executive produced by Mark Ruffalo.

EXCLUSIVE: The International Documentary Association announced the lineup for its prestigious FallDocs 2023 program, featuring a slew of Oscar contending nonfiction films as well as more than two dozen films that haven’t yet nailed down distribution.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Audiences who’ve attended film festivals or cultural events in the past few years have no doubt heard their share of land acknowledgements, in which the hosts make a point of recognizing the Indigenous tribes who served as the traditional custodians of the space on which they’ve gathered. Though intended to convey respect and awareness, these messages appear to have a kind of triggering effect on some people, who react as if witnessing the first step on a slippery slope to the more controversial idea of reparations. In “Lakota Nation vs. United States,” land acknowledgements are the main attraction, and reparations may well be the end goal. Co-directed by Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli, this essential and largely unprecedented Native-issues essay film takes a head-on approach, citing “white fragility” and America’s general unwillingness to confront its treatment of Indigenous peoples as obstacles to resolving decades of unfair treatment. While the subject has been well-covered in other places, this lucid and ultimately uplifting documentary feels nothing short of definitive as the duo condenses a wide range of philosophical, spiritual and historical concerns into a thoughtful (and artful) two-hour package.