Saw Road to Paloma at SFF last night

So Road to Paloma had its unofficial premier at the Sarasota Film Festival last night, and I was lucky enough to attend the screening.

First off I have to say, the film is absolutely gorgeous. It's beautifully shot, the locations are immaculate. From the opening scene, the desert landscapes pull you in. Jason Momoa is incredibly talented, and he's savvy enough to let the vistas be a character in their own right.

The story is straight-forward but poignant. I remember reading an article several years ago regarding the injustices committed against Native American women on reservations, which are considered sovereign land, by white American males and the catch-22 of prosecuting these sexual assaults. It's difficult and painful to acknowledge that after hundreds of years of atrocities, this stuff is still happening.

Wolf (Jason Momoa) is not a hero, or an anti-hero, he's just a guy who found himself in a truly terrible position when faced with tragedy and injustice. He made the decision to serve justice himself, but as his father Numay (Wes Studi) says in the film, "What has your justice gotten you?"

So it's essentially a road movie, Wolf is on the run from the law, in this case an FBI agent played by an intense Timothy V. Murphy. Along the ride, Wolf meets a fellow drifter named Cash (co-writer Robert Mollohan, with one of the best character introduction scenes in recent memory) and the pair become road buddies. I have to commend Mollohan's performance, manic and sly, he's truly the Dennis Hopper to Momoa's Peter Fonda.

All in all it's an intense and beautiful film, obviously a labor of love for the director and everyone involved. And I have to mention, the soundtrack is amazing, truly haunting, gorgeous, rocking, great songs and soundscapes.

Finally, a disclaimer: I drunk high-fived Jason at the afterparty, and I'm pretty sure it made my month. Support this film, it's beautiful and visceral and I hope Momoa continues to follow his vision and keep telling stories.