22 Essential Works of Indigenous Cinema

Indigenous people have been telling stories for centuries longer than the film industry has existed. Yet historically, Hollywood has ignored them. Throughout the 20th century, American movies largely portrayed indigenous people in limited, often non-speaking roles, and mostly confined them to narratives about the 19th century period of frontier expansion. In 1998, Smoke Signals—the first film with a national theatrical release written, directed, co-produced, and acted by Native Americans—inspired a wave of indigenous filmmakers to produce films about their communities set in the present day. About 25 years later, more indigenous filmmakers than ever before are getting the greenlight to make TV shows and movies.

The current golden age of indigenous films is the result of activism, including the viral Standing Rock protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline from 2016 to 2017 and a push to make more films that represent the diversity of American life after the 2020 murder of George Floyd. This golden age has also been bolstered by the success of shows like Reservation Dogs and Rutherford Falls, comedies that closely observed contemporary Native American life, that debuted in 2021.

TIME asked indigenous filmmakers and film historians from around the world about the essential films that reflect upon and give insight into indigenous life. The list includes thrillers, documentaries, horror movies, and love stories.