What started as a film about cultural appropriation evolved into something much deeper for Canadian filmmakers Neil Diamond and Catherine Bainbridge. Red Fever , which opened in theatres Friday, sets out to find the roots of the Western world's fascination with the stereotypical imagery of Indigenous people that still permeates pop culture, and why Indigenous culture continues to be revered, romanticized and ripped off. Or, as Diamond asks in the film, tongue in cheek, "Why do they love us so much?" "It evolved into a film about the influence of Native American cultures on Western society and through fashion, sports, politics, and the environment," said Diamond, who is Cree and from Waskaganish, in northern Quebec.
"I'm kind of glad too, because it makes for a much deeper and richer, more interesting film." Diamond is both behind and in front of the camera in Red Fever as the documentary travels through North America and Europe, from the Arctic to the Deep South, exploring Indigenous histories and their lasting impact on today's culture. Sports, fashion and film Diamond and Bainbridge previously worked together on the 2009 documentary Reel Injun , which examined the portrayal of Indigenous people through cinematic history.
At the time, they thought the stereotyping was coming to an end, as they witnessed a renaissance in Indigenous filmmaking. Then came the Twilight series, Avatar , Lone Ranger and a string of other films that fell back on stereotypical portrayals of Indigeno.