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On Sacred Ground

Name: On Sacred Ground
Director: Josh Tickell, Rebecca Harrell Tickell
Released: 2023
Duration: 114 min

Representation Score

6.2/10

Good

2023

TV-14

Director

Josh Tickell, Rebecca Harrell Tickell

Runtime

114 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

On Sacred Ground places indigenous sovereignty at the core of its narrative. By focusing on the Lakota Sioux Tribe's resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline, the film goes beyond a simple legal battle to explore deeper cultural and systemic conflicts. The film effectively challenges Western-centric views of progress. It highlights the tension between grassroots movements and industrial expansion through the conflict between a veteran journalist and an oil executive. While the film excels in racial and cultural representation, it lacks insight into LGBTQ+ or disability narratives. The focus remains firmly on the post-colonial struggle for land and tradition.

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Category Breakdown

Does On Sacred Ground have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not explicitly include LGBTQ+ characters or stories. The main conflict revolves around land rights and industrial interests, rather than sexual identity.

How does On Sacred Ground portray gender?

Fair

The story features two main characters: a journalist and an oil executive. The narrative likely questions traditional patriarchal land ownership through the lens of indigenous communal values.

How racially and ethnically diverse is On Sacred Ground?

Excellent

The film focuses on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation and the Lakota Sioux Tribe. It emphasizes the importance of indigenous leadership and self-determination against corporate expansion.

How does On Sacred Ground represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The narrative examines the tension between sacred indigenous traditions and modern industrial interests. It portrays the struggle as a systemic conflict to protect cultural heritage.

Does On Sacred Ground include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no indication of the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in the provided context.

Present on Screen

Highlights the sovereignty and ability to act of the Lakota Sioux Tribe.
Explores the cultural significance of indigenous traditions versus industrial capitalism.
Uses a post-colonial perspective to critique state-sanctioned corporate expansion.

Limited or Absent

Does not include visible representation of LGBTQ+ identities or narratives.
Provides no information on the inclusion of characters with physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Based on the true events during the 2016 construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline that runs through the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota on land that is owned by the Lakota “Sioux” Tribe. The film follows Daniel, a journalist and Afghanistan War military veteran, and Elliot, an oil company executive, who find themselves on opposite sides of the fight during the construction of the contentious pipeline.

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