January 5, 2011 — TWO SPIRITS, a film documenting the brutal hate-crime murder of Cortez, Colo. teen Fred Martinez, was today announced as the final film to air as part of PBS’ Independent Lens series for spring 2011. The film will air on PBS affiliates nationwide on June 14, 2011. TWO SPIRITS, by filmmaker Lydia Nibley, explores the life and death of Martinez, who was Two-Spirit, someone who embodies the essence of both male and female, a special gift according to his ancient Navajo culture. By interweaving the tragic story of a mother’s loss of her son with the broader historical context of the two-spirit tradition, TWO SPIRITS raises provocative questions about whether a fundamental shift in cultural attitudes could save lives, families, and Native traditions.
Said Nibley: “I am thrilled that TWO SPIRITS will reach an audience as broad and diverse as PBS’. At a time when the debate over gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights is as prominent as ever, Fred Martinez’s inspiring life, his tragic death, and the two-spirit tradition have much to teach us about equality and acceptance for those who do not fit into modern gender roles.”
Praise for the film: TWO SPIRITS and the Fred Martinez Project (www.twospirits.org) have been honored with the Monette-Horwitz Trust with the Distinguished Achievement Award for outstanding activism, research, and scholarship to combat homophobia and has won audience choice awards and been nominated for film festival awards in festivals around the world. (www.monettehorwitz.org >)
Bestselling author and Oprah magazine columnist Martha Beck calls the film “a gorgeous, moving, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting story, the kind of film that opens the mind and heart so wide they can never close as tightly again.”
LA Weekly says TWO SPIRITS is, “Riveting… a crash course on Navajo history and culture while illuminating the struggles of [Fred] Martinez, whose detailed murder and mother’s grief are devastating.” (July 7, 2009.)
TWO SPIRITS is produced by Say Yes Quickly, Riding TheTiger, and Just Media. A growing coalition of organizations will use TWO SPIRITS in violence reduction programs, safe schools initiatives, suicide prevention programs, LGBT equality programs, in racial and gender equality efforts, and in support of civil and human rights. For more information, visit www.twospirits.org.
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