Two Spirits Premieres November 21 at Starz Denver Film Festival
AlphaDogs’ Latest Post Project Focuses on Native American Indian Tragedy
BURBANK, CA, November 2, 2009 – Post production studio AlphaDogs recently provided post services for the documentary “Two Spirits,” directed by Lydia Nibley and produced by Say Yes Quickly Productions. The film examines the murder of a Navajo teen and native gender and sexuality traditions. “Two Spirits” uses a montage approach that incorporates intimate interviews, Southwest landscapes, an eclectic palette of found footage, and a wide range of music to approach the subjects of the film artistically, rather than from a strictly journalistic perspective.
Sixteen-year-old Fred Martinez was two-spirit, someone who embodies the essence of both male and female, a special gift according to his ancient Navajo culture. This belief is grounded in the Navajo idea that to maintain harmony, there must be a balanced interrelationship between the feminine and the masculine within the individual, in families, in the culture, and in the natural world.
“It was a challenge to create a film with a strong vision working with material from so many sources,” producer Russell Martin explained. “The right people seemed to show up at the right time, including Paul De Cham and the people at AlphaDogs, who finished it up wonderfully.” The AlphaDogs team included Brian Hutchings, who provided the Color Correction, and Rosanne Tan, who did the online editorial.
Director of photography David A. Armstrong shot “Two Spirits” between “Saw” films. He began his career in documentary and has served as the principal cinematographer for more than a dozen feature films. Editor Darrin Navarro edited “Bug” for famed director William Friedkin, as well as many other films. Supervising sound editor and sound designer Ron Eng’s credits include “Coraline,” “Lakeview Terrace,” and “Darfur Now.”
“It has been an amazing experience to collaborate with such a great team on this film,” said director Lydia Nibley. “Everyone contributed solid creative and technical work, and also their passion for a human rights story that has the potential to do some real good in the world.”
“Two Spirits” premieres at the Starz Denver Film Festival in November and will roll out worldwide from there.
