El Camino to Screen Award-Winning Documentary “ᏓᏗᏬᏂᏏ” (“We Will Speak”) during Native American Heritage Month

El Camino College will present a free screening of the award-winning documentary “ᏓᏗᏬᏂᏏ” (“We Will Speak”) from 3p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21 in Marsee Auditorium. Filmed and directed by El Camino English Professor Michael McDermit, the feature-length film follows a small group of Cherokee activists and educators fighting to save their language from extinction.

A question-and-answer session with McDermit will follow the screening, moderated by El Camino College’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility+ Librarian Linda Cooks.

Shot on location in Oklahoma and North Carolina throughout 2019-2022, the documentary uses intimate interviews, vérité footage of community gatherings, and extensive archival materials to explore the nuanced ways the Cherokee language is vital to maintaining a unique cultural identity and relationship with the world.

With a background in all aspects of filmmaking, this is McDermit’s first feature film produced under his independent creative imprint, Blurry Pictures.

“Language has always been the lifeblood of my art,” said McDermit, who teaches English and writing at El Camino. “Due to decades of government and religious assimilation tactics, Indigenous language loss is an epidemic across this continent – this film shines a light on the all-hands-on-deck efforts of the Cherokee people to reclaim their culture through their language. The collaborative nature of how we made this film is also meant to act as an empowering agent of hope for Indigenous voices despite enduring inequity.”

The film was co-directed by United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians citizen Schon Duncan (ᎤᎶᎩᎳ). Blurry Pictures co-founder Jacob Koestler and Cherokee Nation citizen Keli Gonzales (ᎨᎳᏗ) produced the film. Executive producers include fluent Cherokee speaker, longtime Indigenous language activist and Academy Award Honoree actor Wes Studi (ᏪᏌ ᏍᏚᏗ).

The film is presented by the college’s Social Justice Center and the Associated Students Organization as part of programming designed to honor Native American Heritage Month.

All El Camino students, faculty and staff are invited to attend, along with members of the community. Tickets are free; campus parking is $3

For more information, view https://www.elcamino.edu/departments/marketing-and-communications/docs/ecc-weekly/2024/We-Will-Speak-Documentary.pdf, or email mmcdermit@elcamino.edu.