Naarm premiere of documentary examining Leonard Peltier's "miscarriage of justice"
Dechlan Brennan - February 18, 2025
A new documentary portraying the decades-long struggle of Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier will have its southern hemisphere premiere in Naarm next month.
From acclaimed directors Jesse Short Bull, from the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and David France, Free Leonard Peltier, highlights the struggle for justice of the long-time activist of the American Indian Movement.
Both Bull (Lakota Nation vs. United States Istinma) and France (How to Survive a Plague, The Death, and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, Welcome to Chechnya) have established themselves as filmmakers with an eye for justice, with Free Leonard Peltier highlighting that with the support of a new generation of Native activists, the movement to secure Mr Peltier's freedom reached a defining moment.
Former US President Joe Biden commuted Mr Peltier's nearly five decade long sentence in the final days of his presidency after he was imprisoned in 1975 over the killing of two FBI agents, with the order to come into effect on Tuesday, US time.
Mr Peltier, a member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa tribe, was active in the American Indian Movement (AIM). AIM came to national prominence in 1973 when it established a foothold in the village of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge reservation, leading to a 71-day standoff with federal agents.
On June 26, 1975, agents entered Pine Ridge to serve arrest warrants, which sparked a confrontation.
According to a statement, agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams were shot in the head at close range after being injured in a shootout. AIM member Joseph Stuntz was also killed, shot by a law enforcement sniper.
While two other AIM members, Robert Robideau and Dino Butler, were acquitted of killing agents Coler and Williams, Mr Peltier was ultimately convicted of two counts of murder after being extradited from Canada, and sentenced in 1977 to life in prison, despite defence arguments that evidence against him had been falsified.
The documentary screening is a landmark collaboration between the Birrarangga Film Festival (BFF) and Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), with Free Leonard Peltier marking the first ever joint presentation between MIFF and another festival, further underscoring the documentary's cultural and political significance.
BFF's artistic director, Tony Briggs, said he was delighted to be working with MIFF and their artistic director, Al Cossar, with the collaboration "reinforcing the power of unity in sharing vital stories".
"This milestone partnership celebrates the impact of First Nations storytelling, culture, and film. It is a privilege to co-present Free Leonard Peltier," Mr Briggs said.
"This story embodies strength, resilience, and the relentless fight for justice, echoing the struggles of First Nations peoples worldwide.
"It must be seen, heard, and felt and Birrarangga Film Festival proudly shares the honour of presenting it to audiences in Naarm."
Mr Cossar emphasised the relationship, arguing they were "thrilled" to be partnering with BFF for the "special co-presented screenings".
"Especially so in presenting Jesse Short Bull and David France's incendiary Free Leonard Peltier – the story of a man, a movement, a miscarriage of justice, and a new freedom found, that is sure to move and inspire audiences across both festivals," he said.
"Steeped in the history of a defining activist movement, the film itself is also a unique witness to history unfolding right now alongside the commutation of Peltier's sentence – Free Leonard Peltier is a film that has already set itself as a must-see documentary highlight for 2025."
BFF and MIFF will also co-present a second screening at MIFF in August 2025
Free Leonard Peltier will screen on Sunday, March 16 at Palace Westgarth Cinemas, Northcote.
Tickets and further information on BFF can be found online.
BFF is Australia's only dedicated First Nations-led film festival, with the biennial celebration of Indigenous films and storytelling from around the globe returning to Naarm from March 13-18, 2025, with events at multiple locations across the city.