A Well Woven Tale

Symbols mean more than words. And time means nothing at all. — Grandmother.

Benny and Fry, from the docu-drama Frybread Face and Me.

There are moments in the film, Frybread Face and Me, that move the viewer to another plane, a heartfelt refuge of humanity amidst a barren landscape.

Frybread Face and Me is a film (released March 2023) from director Billy Luther, a Native American documentarian, although this movie is categorized as a documentary drama.

It's a coming-of-age story about an 11-year-old boy, Benny, from San Diego, who is sent to the Navajo Reservation (res) against his wishes to stay with his maternal grandmother (played by Sarah H. Natani). She is elderly and only speaks the Navajo language, which is indecipherable yet interesting to hear.

If there is one Navajo word you may learn it's Dine' (pronounced din’eh), which refers to the tribal people.

Benny (Kier Tallman) meets his female cousin whose nickname is Frybread Face (Charley Hogan). 

Benny asks how did you get that name?

"Frybread is round and greasy," she replies with a vacant expression.  A staple of the Navajo, frybread becomes one of many symbols in this deceptively simple film. 

Benny and Fry hang out together, since there's not much else to do. Benny learns that her real name is Dawn.

She translates grandma's language for Benny, while it's unclear if grandma understands English. Grandma spends most of her time in front of a loom weaving a gorgeous brown and yellow tribal rug of repeating symbols, which she eventually sells at the local Trading Post.

Fry and Benny trade cultural backgrounds. He likes action figures and the music of Fleetwood Mac (it’s 1990). She is familiar with sheep herding and the hardscrabble ways of the res. She says she has no desire to ever leave the res, yet is fascinated that Benny is able to frequently visit SeaWorld and see the famous whale, Shamu, which she calls Benny.

"Come on, Shamu," she says in her nondescript bossy way. In one arm, she clutches a rag doll with a funny head, which, we learn, has a story all its own.

Having had a Navajo neighbor next door who spent three months every year on the res, I can testify to the realistic portrayal of the characters in the film. Our neighbor's family came to town for a funeral and we became close.

Characters in the movie include Uncle Marvin (Martin Senseier), who bullies Benny. He is a macho bull rider who is forced to deal with his own manhood following an accident in the ring.

Auntie Lucy (Kahara Hodges) is an attractive aunt who imparts wisdom, much appreciated by Benny and Fry. Aunt Lucy also loves make-up and life beyond the res. She plays the bridge between cultures.

The film tugs at our emotions with humor and pathos, without being cloying or overdone. Humor is a big part of  the Navajo personality. The family, their music and their jokes remind me of native Hawaiian culture.

One scene in which Benny gets behind the wheel of a res car with Fry telling him how to drive, becomes hilarious, as is a dance scene. But all is not happy, since life on the res runs tough and dysfunction common.

Scenes with Grandma glow. She explains, in her Navajo tongue, that weaving opens a door to another world of surprise and creativity. My one complaint: the subtitles are often too fast or hard to read due to lack of contrast with the backgrounds. Still, humanity overrides missing a word or two. The soundtrack, which includes work from the Halluci Nation, blends perfectly with the mood and scenery.

I hope it's nominated for an Oscar, so this fine little film receives the exposure it deserves.

Frybread Face and Me can be streamed on Netflix. One hour and 22-minutes.