I'm blown away to see one of my top pictures given a rather low rating. Ever other movie I love and checked out on this board everyone seems to love as well. How could 47 people not love this movie? Maybe they are all former FBI counter-pro agents who knows. I get what he is talking about. Things he has to say are very important to our people's survival. He is a clear thoughtful great thinker. It's too bad for some that they are unable to see that but to each there own. This is a great American very under-appreciated in his time, a person of great personal and spiritual strength which is inspiring. You have to respect him and what he has given up for the native people. You have to respect him for what has been taken away from him for his beliefs. This is a excellent documentary of his life to date, I'm waiting for my copy to arrive in the mail soon. It will have a place of honor in my video/DVD collection.

I've read about John Trudell for years, heard his poetry and political/spiritual philosophy, heard him speak in person, and am familiar with the abuse he suffered while working as a full-time activist. So I was very interested to see the film when it came within driving distance (two hours) of my home. I did learn some things about his personal life, from childhood on, and think the film pursues the personal and family life without prying or being voyeuristic. I also learned some details about his evolution as a speaker. I saw no attempt to candy-coat either his public image or the lasting damage that his personal tragedies have wrought. I was particularly interested by the different ways that journalists responded to him during interviews and that celebrities summarized their impressions after working with him. Overall, I came away with a deepened appreciation for his spirit, a strengthened critique of the culture we all find ourselves living in, and admiration for his uncompromising love of human beings and for his persistence. I would have been very interested to hear the commentary of mainstream political figures, in order to watch them publicly negotiate the presence of an eloquent, critical voice who is more often ignored or discounted as a radical or a nut just because it is difficult to hear some of what he says.This is an excellent documentary.

How to describe Trudell? He defies categorization and labels. He is simultaneously a leader, poet and prophet. His wisdom transcends the decades and even the centuries. His words give clarity to the problems of living under the dominant culture. Heather Rae's superb film illustrates Trudell's message in a memorable and experiential way. Those in the activist community should see this film to gain an even broader perspective. From his days broadcasting "Radio Free Alcatraz" on KPFA to his concerts performing "Bombs Over Baghdad," he gives voice to resistance to oppression and the need to honor the earth, lessons we sorely need to learn in this day and age of global climate change and petrocollapse.

I saw a version (don't know if any edits/changes have been made since) a little over a year ago at a screening in Boise, ID where it was announced the film had been selected for Sundance. I went in totally unprepared for what I was hit with and am forever changed by it. The film-making was truly exceptional and the subject is one of our country's most original thinkers. This is one worth seeing, you won't regret it. Trudell is a survivor and filmmaker Rae, over a period of several years, captured footage and interviews with an amazing range of people who saw him through it all. This film really does go through his life with detail and richness that allows the viewer inside. It's a life worth examining.