Frybread Face and Me

Billy Luther's 2023 American film follows Benny, growing up in San Diego, spending a summer at his grandmother's ranch in Arizona. He does not speak Navajo; his cousin Dawn knows how to herd sheep and knows the tradition, and each learns something different from the other. The film is honest in refusing to turn identity into a story of discovery: by the end of the summer Benny has not learned to be Navajo, he has only realised how much he does not know. Part of the dialogue is in Navajo and left unsubtitled, which puts the viewer where the child is. Luther drew on his own childhood. The story is without incident and the pace slow. Who it's for: viewers interested in Native American cinema and coming-of-age stories. Who it's not for: anyone wanting plot, or who will find a slow pace wearing.