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In 1974, in a true incident, two FBI agents were killed in a gun battle that erupted on a reservation in Oglala, North Dakota. Leonard Peltier, a leader of AIM (the American Indian Movement) was convicted of the murders. However, existing evidence suggests that Peltier did not commit the crimes, and that his arrest may have been politically motivated. British director Michael Apted, known for his probing documentaries (the 7 UP series), explores this question through interviews with witnesses, judges, US attorneys, Peltier, and a mysterious figure named Mister X--who claims to be the person who shot the two FBI agents. Narrated by Robert Redford, who has long been associated with Native American causes, the film makes a strong case that Peltier should at least receive another trial. It also reconstructs the chaotic time before the incident, when division between two factions on the reservation created an atmosphere of sheer terror. Released shortly before THUNDERHEART, Apted's fictionalized portrayal of Native American life in the 1970s, INCIDENT AT OGLALA presents a disturbing examination of the mistreatment of American Indians, and like Apted's film CLASS ACTION, the film also examines the U.S. legal system.
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