Dodging Bullets Presentation Awards

The MSPIFF (Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival) has selected Dodging Bullets—Stories from Survivors of Historical Trauma as the winner of “Minnesota Made Documentary Feature Competition” and has named it as one of the “Best of Fest” films.

Jury Statement: The documentary feature Dodging Bullets breaks new ground in form and in its subject matter. The filmmakers offer a series of largely episodic stories, intimately documented, about Native American individuals who have been impacted by ethnic genocide in the United States. These episodic narratives are joined narratively in an analysis of how each of these events has contributed to an ongoing experience of unresolved historical trauma for many in the Native American community, in which many traumatized individuals and communities epigenetically transmit unresolved trauma to future generations. Compelling in its visual and narrative approach, it is ultimately a story of resilience and hope as the filmmakers bring a nuanced perspective to a difficult topic, demonstrating the dignity of their subjects and offering the possibility of freedom from generations of inherited traumatic stress.

North Dakota Human Rights Film Festival

“Powerful. An important film for North Dakotan audiences. We will be unable to move forward in healing until we understand the traumatic damage our forefathers levied against the native people of these North Dakota prairies. The past brought to life by ‘Dodging Bullets’ makes this understanding possible. Everyone must see this film.”