“Mekko” (2015, Sterlin Harjo)

The lead character in Mekko (Sterlin Harjo, 2015, 87 minutes) comes out of prison 19 years after he caused the death of his cousin. Unforgiven by his family he ends up on the streets of Tulsa. Falling in with a group of homeless Native Americans, Mekko begins to sense the presence of an evil among them. Masterfully combining Native American legend with the tension of a thriller, Mekko is a new landmark in indigenous cinema.

This film complements Art for a New Understanding: Native Voices, 1950s to Now. This film series is co-sponsored by the Nasher Museum and the Program in the Arts of the Moving Image at Duke.

“Mekko infuses street-smart realism with Native American mysticism to create a quietly haunting portrait of fringe dwellers and castoffs.” — Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter