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Closing Night @ MSPIFF 2016: 'The Seventh Fire' Reviewed

The Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival ends with a documentary that should perhaps be required watching for any Minnesotan. Jack Pettibone Riccobono's work, which is presented by Tree of Life visionary Terrence Malick and produced by actress Natalie Portman, fixes an unflinching lens onto the lives of two Ojibwe men on the Pine Point reservation in Becker County.The film's verite-like view into the patterns of life in the small, rural community produces a portrait of a people, or at least a male demographic of a people, struggling to break free from drugs, collisions with authority and a chronic lack of opportunities.

Yet never does the film pity its subjects, or treat them as mere victims of circumstance. The 30-something Rob, who's spent his life in and out of prison, is an old-school gangster who harbors a literary gift and aspirations to be a published author. His girlfriend is pregnant and he's about to serve a few more years behind bars. Meanwhile, his protege of sorts, the teenage Kevin, is just at the cusp of manhood. He's charismatic, bright and dealing drugs (pot, meth, pills) as he figures out if he wants to be a big-time dealer or seek to leave the seemingly inescapable "P-Town" for a different life.

The theme of tradition rises to the fore. While the main subjects, as well as others in the film, harbor a deep pride for their Ojibwe heritage, there's a sense that a new rhythm of gang life, drugs and apathy has taken hold. Furniture and cars burn in the street. People pass young children back and forth in between snorting meth. Celebrations turn into fights, with chunks of hair left in the streets. Meanwhile, the stormclouds boil overhead, and in the background is the evergreen rush of pine forest -- a constant reminder that the land and these people have been tied together for centuries.

While The Seventh Fire is often difficult to watch and, in some sense, inspires one to despair, there's still an underlying feeling of hope. This comes through in the humanity of the two main subjects, which is captured in their complexity. The men are both striving to be (or remain) prominent figures in their community, but the roads to glory are few. In the end, we're left wondering which paths the men will take. Perhaps a new one will emerge, leading to a new tradition -- and maybe a new future for Pine Point.

The Seventh Fire is playing at the St. Anthony Main Theatre at 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The film's director, Pettibone Riccobono, and other guests will be attending.

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Other Highlights From Saturday, April 23

Ice and the Sky (Luc Jacquet, Franc) From the creator of 2005 documentary hit March of the Penguins comes a film on the life of French adventurer Claude Lorius, a scientist who's led the charge in the fight against climate change for decades. With signature style and grace, Jacquet examines the now 82-year-old researcher's life and how the world has changed since the explorer first charted Antarctic ice in the 1950s. (11:15 a.m; St. Anthony Main Theatre)

The Fits (Anna Rose Holmer, USA) A promising debut from a first-time director, this Cincinnati-set gem centers on a tomboyish girl pulled between the worlds of boxing and dancing. Holmer succeeds in setting the viewer in the young woman's headspace. Both the filmmaker and young actor, Royalty Hightower, should be names to remember. (5:20 p.m.; St. Anthony Main Theatre)

Virgin Mountain (Dagur Kári, Iceland) Think of this as maybe the Icelandic art film version of The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Fúsi, a balding gentle giant who's horrendously picked on by his coworkers, sees a change in his fortunes once he takes dancing lessons. (10:05 p.m.; St. Anthony Main Theatre)

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For the festival schedule, and a complete listing of all the movies being shown, click here. Ticket information is available here.

Throughout the entirety of the 2016 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival, WCCO.com will be spotlighting one notable movie each day, along with other notable screenings. To see WCCO.com's complete coverage on the MSPIFF, click here.

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