Remaining Native presented by the Bozeman Doc Series
February 5 @ 7:00pm
The Bozeman Doc Series continues on Thursday, February 5th, at 7pm at the Emerson, with the Montana premiere of the award-winning new doc, Remaining Native.
Ku Stevens, a 17-year-old Native American runner living on the Yerington Paiute reservation in northwest Nevada, hopes that his dream school, the University of Oregon, will recognize his talent and recruit him. But as Ku trains, he confronts unreconciled emotions as he recalls his great-grandfather Frank Quinn’s story. At only 8 years old, Quinn ran 50 miles across desert to escape an Indian boarding school. That journey becomes interwoven with Ku’s own ambition to not only run a collegiate-qualifying time but to connect past, present, and future. Ku sets his sights on recreating his great-grandfather’s flight to freedom, as the young athlete embraces his Native identity and runs with it, reconnecting with his family history.
Remaining Native world-premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival where it won both the Audience Award for Documentary Features and a Special Jury Award.
“Utterly absorbing… both an inspiring coming-of-age story and impactful history lesson.” Variety
“There’s a nice parallel between young Stevens’ outlook as a runner and (director, Paige) Bethmann’s own positive framing of this story as the doc mirrors its star’s forward-looking eye towards healing. This assured portrait finds an inspiring story in one individual who learned from his elder’s perseverance. It’s a sure-fire crowd-pleaser, but one that confidently carries the responsibility it holds.” POV Magazine
“A beautiful, powerful, and important documentary…This is a film that doesn’t shy away from abuse, violence, or any of the other crimes that darken Native American history. But that’s also the film’s strength: (the film) captures what it means to be a Native runner, balancing joys and tragedies in a way that will resonate with any athlete—and any human being.” Outside Magazine
Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets are available at the door or before the show online at www.bozemandocseries.org, where you can also buy Season Passes and 7-film punch cards, learn more about the series, and view trailers for upcoming films. The series will continue every other week through April, 2026.
