Smoke Signals

"A new film from the heart of Native America."

1998 1h 29m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 118

DramaComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Young Native American man Thomas is a nerd in his reservation, wearing oversize glasses and telling everyone stories no-one wants to hear. His parents died in a fire in 1976, and Thomas was saved by Arnold. Arnold soon left his family, and Victor hasn't seen his father for 10 years. When Victor hears Arnold has died, Thomas offers him funding for the trip to get Arnold's remains.

“A new film from the heart of Native America.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Adam Beach
Victor Joseph
Evan Adams
Thomas Builds-the-Fire
Irene Bedard
Suzy Song
Gary Farmer
Arnold Joseph
Tantoo Cardinal
Arlene Joseph
Cody Lightning
Young Victor Joseph
Simon Baker
Young Thomas Builds-the-Fire
Monique Mojica
Grandma Builds-the-Fire

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Chris Eyre
Writers: Sherman Alexie
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

89 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

28 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Chris Eyre, shot by Brian Capener. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by BC Smith. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Brian Berdan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Adam Beach and Evan Adams and Irene Bedard carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A new film from the heart of Native America.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0120321 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Chris Eyre directs. Brian Capener behind the camera. BC Smith scores. Brian Berdan cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

189 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
228 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Chris Eyre, shot by Brian Capener. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by BC Smith. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Brian Berdan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Adam Beach and Evan Adams and Irene Bedard carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "A new film from the heart of Native America.".
8IMDB entry: tt0120321 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.