Narratives of Survival: Queer, Spirituality, and Indigenous Filmmaking as Resilience (a screening and discussion with Jordan M. Martin and Miles Smith Jr. )
Publication information:
Abstract
My presentation will be a screening of my short film DRAGGED TO NOWHERE, followed by a discussion of its production and my personal journey of coming out as trans. The film functions as a private spiritual practice that engages a public audience by using drag, performance and highlights filmmaking as a tool for resilience and transformation. Shot on location and grounded in queer and Indigenous spiritual frameworks, DRAGGED TO NOWHERE confronts public hostility while embracing vulnerability as ritual. My presentation reflects on art-making as initiation, witnessing, and hope. particularly for Indigenous youth navigating fear, visibility, and survival. Miles Smith Jr will be screening his short film and will be discussing his own story with Jordan Martin.
Presenter Biographies
Jordan Martin (Blackfeet) is an award winning, trans Indigenous filmmaker whose work challenges convention and centers marginalized voices. As a graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts with a Bachelor's degree in Cinematic Arts and Technology, Martin brings a fresh and fearless perspective to contemporary Native American cinema.
Miles Smith Jr, is an award-winning Indigenous filmmaker whose work comes from memory, spirituality, and lived experience. Through storytelling, he speaks on belonging, healing, and identity. He shares personal truths through film, creating space for reflection and connection, and uses art as a way to find his voice and keep growing.