Film Synopsis
THE UNITED NATION'S CALLS IT GENOCIDE,
WE CALL IT EVERYDAY LIFE
Since the Europeans discovered America and the expansionism westward, the indigenous inhabitants of this land fought valiantly, not only for their
land, but for their culture. This 400-year-old struggle for survival is still going on, to this day.
“IF THE SILENCE COULD BE BROKEN’ follows a small group of Dine’/ Navajo families, fighting to hold onto their land, heritage and beliefs. This... is their story.
Their voices... seen through their eyes.
A window into the past is also a look into all our futures.
Their struggle... is our struggle, as the world faces ‘Global Climate Change, Corporate Greed and Government Inaction
photo coal Transport work road Peabody
Director Statement
Director, Guy Morgan and Glenna Bagay walking towards her home with coal mine in the background.
Working on any film project can be a magical experience Like navigating an uncharted river.
The story can change direction at any moment Discovery through this collaborative process can have a profound
Impact on the narrative.
It’s not about where you intend to take the film; it’s about where the film takes you
This is especially true with documentaries, and this one is no exception.
Little did I know what I was in for. A young man from Queens, New York, biting off more than he could chew, heading out west in an old four-wheel-drive truck with a film camera in hand.
It took me three weeks just to learn my way around a world with no road signs, no house numbers or markers.
The only things that distinguished one road from another were a tree, a rock, maybe a tire or old Coke bottle.
The
smell of sage filled the air as my trucks exhaustion, set the plants ablaze. There are more stars at night there than I’ve ever seen before. These stars have been there for thousands of years, silently witnessing all that has taken place here from this quiet night sky.
The people and culture were just as amazing. Time slowed down as I had to learn to slow down with it. The people communicated through stories, not soundbites. These Navajo stories each began with their ancestors—a link to who they are and where they came from—a truth in the way these stories are told. I learned and experienced so much on this journey.
Thanks to the people who kindly shared their experiences, knowledge, and lives.
I’m honored to know all of them.
FILMS PHOTOS
Location and interview coordinator, Marsha Monestersky talking with uranium worker Glen Yong outside abandoned uranium mine.
On site Navajo translator Carlos W. Begay and family.
Abandoned home from relocation
Freshwater well capped off and put out of service