Monument Valley before Instagram ruined it — pure 1957 Navajo life, no filter needed.
The story of the Navajo, at work and play, in the Southwestern United States, and in particular, in scenic Monument Valley. The film focuses on a typical Indian family, its daily life, struggles, and folkways, as every aspect of living is governed by Navajo gods and legends.
Cinematography
Monument Valley shots that'll make you weep.
Direction
Surprisingly intimate for 1957 ethnographic film.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot in Monument Valley, the same landscape John Ford was simultaneously mythologizing in Westerns — but this time with Navajo people as subjects, not backdrop.
Bill Ewing's narration reflects mid-century anthropological attitudes: well-meaning but paternalistic, treating culture as something to be preserved rather than lived.
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