Waaki (Sanctuary)
2019 / 56 MIN / USA
Looking at how the Creation stories of the Hopi, Nahua and Maya give them a special connection to maize/corn, synthesized in the statement, “We are corn”. There are many songs, displays and ceremonial practices that affirm this connection. Waaki looks deeper into the world community and how it is connected to maize/corn – what are the interrelationships that exist and celebrates the human capacity for tolerance and compassion in a time when people are becoming more intolerant of difference.
Screening Friday, March 27, 1:00 pm
Victor Masayesva, Jr.
Victor Masayesva, Jr. (born 1951) is a Hopi filmmaker, video-artist, and photographer. Born on the Hopi Reservation of Arizona, and growing up in Hotevilla, Masayesva's artistic career reflects his active participation with the Hopi community, his body of work promoting Hopi culture and worldview.Scholar Martin Padget considers Masayesva "one of the most influential Indigenous filmmakers and photographers of his generation." Masayesva's films and photographs are diverse and complex in nature, often employing diverse visual language, and an experimental approach towards media. The majority of his films are in Hopi language and are destined for his community, especially to pass-on traditional teachings to youth. Masayesva has also been personally involved in promoting indigenous media, both in the United States and internationally.
