Neither Wolf Nor Dog comes to Parkway Cinema!

Neither Wolf Nor Dog, a unique and poignant Native American themed film set on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, will be released at Parkway Cinema for one day only on Monday 13th January.

Based on the novel of the same name by Kent Nerburn, Neither Wolf Nor Dog delves into Native American history, gives cause for thought, and offers the chance to understand life from a different perspective. 

Big budget movies are filmed and released on a big budget scale. This film is different. Without a distribution company, Neither Wolf Nor Dog has been released throughout the US, Canada, the UK and Bulgaria to community cinemas by the film’s director, Steven Lewis Simpson and his team.

Just Beverley had the privilege of talking to Steven about the film’s release and his experiences of making it. 

Steven told us it was unusual for a film-maker to release their own work, not least as the team are doing so remotely with over 500 venues having received the film to date! Steven has used local media to promote the film and local venues to screen it, which has accentuated a sense of community. Community is how we connect; human stories that we can identify with. 

It was the book’s author who approached Steven with the idea of producing a film, Steven was at a screening of another of his Native American films at a community theatre in the US. With his track record, Steven was the man for the job!

Steven’s affiliation and subsequent love for Pine Ridge started way back in 1999 when a scared Ghost Shirt was repatriated from Scotland. This sparked a series of events that led to a deep connection for Steven both with the land and the Native Americans that live there. After being in a crowd or ‘collective space’ during the political meeting held shortly after the repatriation, Steven had the chance to interact with the Native American community on a one to one basis. It all went from there. He’s received an extraordinary level of trust from the community over the years. 

During the interview, we asked Steven whether he preferred making feature films or documentaries; he has a track record of both. The answer was insightful. Feature films demand the artist from him, documentaries demand the human aspect. They are intrinsically different and reveal different sides. Importantly, there is an element of both - a ‘crossover’ in Neither Wolf Nor Dog particularly in the scene ‘Wounded Knee’, a pivotal scene with an immense emotional release and a turning point in the film.

If you fancy seeing something different, something emotional, and a world away from your standard ‘Blockbuster’ Neither Wolf Nor Dog is showing at Parkway Cinema, Beverley on Monday 13th January at 12.30pm and 8.00pm. Book online at https://beverley.parkwaycinemas.co.uk, visit the box office at Parkway Cinema, Flemingate, Beverley, HU17 0PW, or telephone 01482 968090.

Just Beverley would like to thank Steven Lewis Simpson for his time and thoughtful and very insightful interview.