Documentary movie looks at Navajo culture

Annabelle Janssen hangs a poster for her film "Where the Highway Ends" at El Morro Theater Friday morning. The film will show March 17 and 18 at the theater. (Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent)

By Pamela G. Dempsey
Staff Writer

GALLUP — A research project at the Indian Health Service in Gallup led filmmaker Annabelle Janssen down a different road from where she first began.

Janssen's documentary, "Where the Highway Ends," highlights not only the past and present Navajo culture, but addresses how to preserve it.

"My idea was to do something in return," Janssen said. "I was impressed by their culture."

Janssen first came to the area in 1994 as a cultural anthropologist student from the Netherlands.

She conducted research at the Indian Health Service in Gallup and interviewed Navajo patients how they prefer to treat illnesses: through traditional medicine or western medicine.

"Everybody, of all ages, use both ways," she said.

Each year afterwards, Janssen came back for months at a time. Once she finished her studies, she asked her friends and the Navajo family who adopted her if they wanted the documentary.

"Most people said they were concerned about their culture," Janssen said.

The 72-minute film focuses on the history of the Navajo culture, the Long Walk, and ideas on retaining the culture.

"I found that kids were interested in learning their language but the parents were not teaching it at home," Janssen said.

She worked during the past two years on the film during her visits to the Navajo Nation. She began filming in 2002.

"I think people can use it as an education (tool)," Janssen said. "It's a documentary about Native American history and how beautiful it still is."

Janssen was the only non-Navajo working on the project. She often consulted with a medicine man on the voice-over script.

All voice-overs, she said, are Navajo.

The self-funded project, she said, "took a lot of work."

During a re-enactment of the Long Walk, Janssen said she offered to cook for her subjects.

"I had a lot of good cooperation," Janssen said. "It helped a lot that they were interested in the subject."

Janssen will be returning to Europe Italy or Germany, she's not sure which yet at the end of March.

"Now (that the film is) finished, this is what it is supposed to be," she said.

— To contact reporter Pam Dempsey call (505) 879-1707 or email pamelagdempsey@msn.com