Director’s Statement

The film began as a reaction to the number of cameras and documentary crews that were at camp and how documentaries are often structured to be authoritative of an event or experience, interviewing numerous people to gain a wider perspective. I wanted to be accountable for my own perspective and to give Cleo and Terry a place to do the same without the burden of representation falling on us, as is often the case for anyone who has historically been Othered. 

Directors’ Statement

In late 2013, we traveled down dirt roads using a hand-drawn map to reach a small reservation town that is lovingly dubbed “where the highway ends and the Wild West begins.” Crafting The Blessing was motivated by the characters’ active interest in sharing their heart-wrenching experience and taking part in insuring the preservation of Navajo culture. Lawrence has used the film to explore the traumas of his complicated past for the first time and to solidify the promise of his daughter’s future. He took an active role in showing us his world through his eyes, filming sections on his own using a helmet-mounted camera. The film was only made possible by a deeply felt connection in front of and behind the lens. He trusted us to tell this story and we did it together.