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The
promotional poster for "Legends From The Sky", directed
by Travis Holt Hamilton.
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"Legends From The Sky" is an independent American Indian film
that focuses on the significance of self-acceptance while recognizing
cultural upbringing. With a touch of science fiction added to the
mix, it becomes a film that leaves a taste of excitement and thrills
for audiences of all ages.
The film is set on the modern day Navajo Reservation and tells
the story of Lyle, an American Indian veteran who returns to his
homeland, only to find his life in shambles when his grandfather
goes missing after an unexplainable occurrence. It becomes Lyle's
mission to discover the whereabouts of his grandfather while uncovering
the truth behind a mysterious federal organization that took over
his grandfather's land.
The film is directed by Travis Holt Hamilton, who is known for
writing and producing a number of American Indian themed films,
including "Turquoise Rose", "Blue Gap Boyz", and "More Than Frybread."
Like his previous films, the storytelling is imaginative with
heavy focus on characters driven by their ambitions. It emphasizes
on the appreciation of life, history, and self-esteem. Every journey
requires a little effort, but reaching the goals at the end makes
the determination worthwhile. The same can be said about putting
a movie together, according to Hamilton.
"This film was a challenge. [As a film crew], we were determined
to make something our best," said the 37-year-old director from
Twin Falls, Idaho. "I've been [shooting film] for 15 years, and
looking back, it's good to see progress. We're not perfect yet,
but we're still moving forward and pushing for quality stories and
production."
Ernest Tsosie III who was featured in Hamilton's previous films
plays the character Tom, a government conspirator. The cast also
includes James Bilagody, Mia Sable, and first time actor, Edsel
Pete, who plays the persistent Lyle in search of his grandfather.
The film was shot around the southwest and implemented the native
culture as a backdrop to the story. According to Hamilton, shooting
on Indian land influenced the narrative with positive results.
"I thought native country would be a good background for a science
fiction movie," he said. "Native culture is something that interested
me as a kid. I learned about history from different communities
and incorporated a lot of legends to guide the story along. I am
still experimenting on a lot of things, but the benefit is seeing
the progress. That's what I learned jumping from genre to genre."
Hamilton stated that being called a filmmaker makes him uncomfortable
since he is still learning as he goes. He specified that his first
number of projects were good practice, paving the way for something
superior.
But with five feature films under his belt, its evident superiority
comes from resolute effort. According to Hamilton, there is always
room for improvement when it comes to art and storytelling.
"I'm not native, but I love telling stories that can happen
anywhere. I go by a lesson a sculptor told me. He talked about how
he wanted to fix a sculpture he previously did. But you need to
be able to see the progress from the first one in order to move
onto the next one. When you can do that with your art, you can keep
that improvement in your perspective."
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