Lea Schlude

90 min. | Expected 2025 | Documentary | 4K 16:9 | Color | English, German, Kizh

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Tracing the forgotten images of a multi-layered​ megacity along its Indigenous landmarks, HAZY VALLEY explores unseen links between ecology and Indigenous representation in one of the most iconic places in the world. 

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Palm trees, highways, swimming pools - Los Angeles the way we know it is near ecological collapse, facing catastrophic megafires and droughts. The film’s participants are on the front lines, reviving the traditional ecological knowledge and land stewardship practices of their ancestors who have been erased by Hollywood's oblivious narratives. When historic connections emerge between the Kizh-Gabrieleño People and German ethnological archives and museums, the call to challenge the ‚California Dream‘ and other colonialist projections becomes even more urgent. 
 

HAZY VALLEY is a collaborative feature project, co-directed by Kizh biologist Matthew Teutimez and Lea Schlude, and developed together with the Kizh-Gabrieleño community. We have been awarded with the Wim Wenders Grant 2021 from NRW Film Commission and the Wim Wenders Foundation, and are currently fellows of the Documentary Campus Masterschool 2023, receiving mentorship at CPH:DOX, DOK.fest Munich, Sarajevo Film Festival, DOK Leipzig, Documentary Campus Powerhouse and IDFA 2023.