The Business of Fancydancing

Shot on digital video and taking its title from his 1992 book of poetry, Sherman Alexie's The Business of Fancydancing is a portrait of the conflicted relationship between two Native American men. Aristotle Joseph (Gene Tagaban) and Seymour Polatkin (Evan Adams) had long been best friends by the ...more

The Business of Fancydancing is an intriguing and somewhat frustrating viewing experience. Instead of following the rules for mainstream narrative cinema, writer-director Sherman Alexie created a patchwork of naturalistic dramatic scenes, simulated home video footage, performances pieces (including ceremonial Native American dances), and mock interviews with a couple of the main characters. This deliberately jagged approach may have been intended to pay homage to the Native American oral ...more