Skydancer

In her vertigo-inducing documentary, German-born filmmaker Katja Esson pays tribute to the Native American ironworkers who have helped construct New York City's skyline. According to Jerry Thundercloud McDonald, who lives on a Mohawk reservation, "You've got to have the guts for it. It's not just for anybody." Thundercloud took inspiration from his father, who starting working when he was 16 (lying about his age). Thundercloud, who has six kids to support, says that this particular brand of iron working is considered a desirable vocation due to the respectable pay—even if he himself has come close to death on three different occasions (worse, the job took his father's life early, and Thundercloud never got to know him). Like Thundercloud, Sky Fox spends each weekend at home (a six-hour drive away) with his family, enjoying the cultural traditions of his tribe. Although Native American ironworkers have proven their mettle over the generations, they still remain a minority in a field dominated by men of Irish and Italian descent. Construction superintendent Bobby D'Amelio admires the Native American workers' skill, but also says they mostly keep to themselves. Sky's wife, Bear, would rather see him do something else—even for a significantly smaller paycheck—and worries about his drinking, brought on by loneliness and isolation. And while the workers are treated more fairly now than in Thundercloud's father's day, racial discrimination still persists. Letting her subjects tell their stories with no obvious editorial interference, Esson captures the interesting lives of these Mohawk skywalkers. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)