Up Heartbreak Hill

Life can be difficult on the massive Navajo reservation located in a remote area along the Arizona-New Mexico border. Per capita income is low (just over $6,000 annually), unemployment is high, and numerous social problems exist, including alcohol and drug abuse, domestic violence, and health issues such as diabetes. Many students drop out of high school, few go to college, and even fewer earn a college degree. Filmmaker Erica Scharf's Up Heartbreak Hill follows three Native American students in their senior year of high school in the village of Navajo, NM. Thomas sports a pink mohawk, comes from a broken home, and is a promising state championship level runner. Tamara also runs, does well in school, feels "caged up" on the "rez," and wants to go away to college. Gabby likes photography, isn't sure of her goals, and is a bit scared to leave home. Scharf explores conflicting aims—a desire to explore the wider world vs. clinging to the security of the reservation—while also examining the role of running in Navajo culture. In addition to the students, viewers meet parents (often struggling with their own issues), school teachers and administrators, and town officials, who all hope that the young people will excel in higher education and then return to help in renewing Navajo culture and the local economy. Interwoven throughout are scenes of Thomas and Tamara's training for the all-important Heartbreak Classic running competition at the end of the school year. Scharf manages to cover a lot of ground in this powerful documentary that culminates in a realistic but hopeful conclusion at graduation. DVD extras include updates, deleted scenes, and an interview with the director. A fine film on Native American adolescent culture, this is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)