Questions for Considering _Smoke Signals_

Below are some questions for thought as you watch Smoke Signals and compose your blog post. 

1. What is the role of storytelling in this film? What kind of authority does it have? What do you think the film is saying about the difference between stories and “the truth”?
2. A good deal of the film takes place in the past, either through Victor’s flashbacks or Thomas’s stories. What is the role of the past in the film?
3. The film often addresses the stereotype of the stoic and “real” Native American. What physical attributes are tied into this stereotype, and how to the characters in the film reinforce or defy this image?
4. How are traditional symbols of mainstream America (e.g. basketball , John Wayne) repurposed by Native Americans in the film?
5. In the film, fire burns down both Thomas’ childhood home and Victor’s father’s unused trailer. What is the significance of the matching fires and what do they symbolize? What other places or symbols in the film repeat and occur in both the flashbacks and the present?  How does this connect to fire in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?
6. The title of the film was changed to Smoke Signals from “This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona”. What do you think the director is trying to say about the significance of smoke signals in this film? What about communication in general?
7. What connections do Smoke Signals' characters, themes, and events have to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?
8. Music has a very central place film, both through characters singing or playing instruments and the additional soundtrack. Were there any musical selections in the film that stood out to you, and why?