Two Spirits

Two Spirits. DVD. Press & festival screener. Dir. Lydia Nibley. Riding the Tiger Productions, 2010.

Two Spirits, the excellent documentary directed, coproduced, and cowritten by Lydia Nibley, explores the brief life and murder of sixteen-year-old Fred Martinez in Colorado. Fred was seen by his killer as gay, but was seen in his Navajo tradition as a “nadleeh,” a person who blends masculine and feminine characteristics — being two spirited.

As of this writing, Two Spirits is scheduled for television broadcast as a segment in PBS’s series Independent Lens in June 2011. Interviews with family members, Native American scholars, and reenacted scenes examine the nadleeh tradition, Fred Martinez’s life and death, and the impact of his death on his family and community. The film’s score is performed by Native American musicians.

This documentary should be considered for purchase by all public and academic libraries, and would find use by those studying U.S. history, gender studies, Native American history and culture, hate crimes, and documentary filmmaking.

Reviewed by, Dave Combe
Librarian Specialist

E. P. Foster Library

Share

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Follow Me

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.