WINDOW ROCK (Ariz.) — A classic western starring Clint Eastwood was dubbed in the Navajo Language.
This month, the movie “A Fistful Of Dollars” or “Beeso Dah Yiniljaa” in Navajo, will be shown for free on or near the reservation, which extends into Arizona and New Mexico.
The premiere of the cast and crew will be held Nov. 16 at Window Rock’s movie theater, Arizona. Members of the public must be vaccinated against COVID-19, and agree to undergo a quick test on-site.
The 1964 western is the third major movie available in the Navajo Language. “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope”, released in 2013, “Finding Nemo”, was released in 2016, as a way of conserving the Navajo language.
“A Fistful Of Dollars” was originally scheduled to be released in 2013, but the coronavirus epidemic delayed its release. Eastwood portrays a man without a name who enters a Mexican village during a power struggle among families.
Manuelito Wheeler, Director of the Navajo Nation Museum, stated that a Western movie has been a popular request from Navajo elders.
Wheeler stated Wednesday that it was only natural to make a movie about them because they are the primary speakers in Navajo. “I’m sure they’ll enjoy it.
The film was produced in collaboration with Kino Lorber, a New York-based film distribution company, and Native Stars Studios, an Indigenous-owned studio in Gallup, New Mexico. The film features a cast of all-Navajo voice actors.
