The Seventh Fire

Director Jack Riccobono first went to the White Earth Indian Reservation in 2006 while working on a short documentary. In 2010, Riccobono returned to the reservation to find someone to talk to about the issue of gang culture migrating from jails and inner cities to isolated native communities, it was on this trip that Riccobono met one of the subjects of the film, Rob Brown.[3]

Shooting for the film began in January 2011. The film required 14 shoots over two and a half years to complete.[4]

Native American filmmaker Chris Eyre joined the production as an executive producer in 2012 when the film was 25% completed with production. Natalie Portman signed on in 2013 and Terrence Malick joined in 2014.[5]

Composer Nicholas Britell began work on the score early in production. A long time collaborator of director Jack Riccobono, the two revisited the music over the three years of production and post. The soundtrack also features tracks by Native rappers Chase Manhattan and Tall Paul, and was released on iTunes on July 22, 2016.

In May 2014, Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) selected The Seventh Fire for its Independent Filmmaker Labs, an annual yearlong fellowship for first-time feature directors.[6]

The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 7, 2015, and received a theatrical release in the United States on July 22, 2016. Film Movement acquired the rights to distribute the film in the United States.[7]Metrodome distributed the film in the United Kingdom on May 13, 2016.[8] The Seventh Fire went on to play in over 50 markets, including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, Minneapolis, Boston, and San Diego.

The film was selected to screen at the White House on March 24, 2016 as part of President Obama's campaign for criminal justice reform. Main subjects Rob Brown and Kevin Fineday Jr spoke on a panel with federal officials, journalists, and academics including Bill Keller, Editor-in-chief of The Marshall Project, Jamelle Bouie, chief political correspondent for Slate, and Karen Diver, former Special Assistant to the President for Native American Affairs following the screening.[9]

The film has been featured at major cultural and educational institutions across the country, including the Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago), Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands, University of Southern California, UCLA Film & Television Archives, Vassar College, Eastman House, University of Nebraska, New York University, and University of Oklahoma.

The film received an exclusive streaming release on Netflix in December 2016.[10]

• Official website
• The Seventh Fire at IMDb
• The Seventh Fire at Rotten Tomatoes
• KCRW filmmakers interview