“After the Crash” is a deeply evocative documentary that probes the unsettling disappearance of the Crow Nation tribal police following a fatal pursuit that ended the life of 17-year-old Braven Glenn. Using the meticulous investigative work of reporter Samantha Michaels, the film by Mark Helenowski chronicles Braven’s family’s heartrending fight for answers. As the 22-minute film unfolds, viewers are taken on a journey through the eyes of Braven’s mother, Blossom Old Bull, as she tries to expose the official silence around her son’s death. A bracing pre-title sequence elevates the dramatic stakes from the first moments, as viewers dive deep into a pulse-quickening survey of the mystery to come. Majestic, sweepingly cinematic images of Crow Nation capture the colors and character of the vast land and unique Crow culture; these are juxtaposed with intimate character studies of Blossom and her community, captured at times in aching close-up.
This is immersive, shoe-leather filmmaking at its best, with Old Bull and Michaels working together to unlock mystery after mystery for an audience on the edge of its seat. During a tour of the abandoned police headquarters, housed in a former Subway, a former dispatcher points to the sandwich counter where officers were sometimes storing their guns. A pulsing score builds the film toward a final, highly emotional confrontation—as Old Bull seeks accountability for her son’s death. The film is made all the more remarkable for its small production footprint: Helenowski himself shot, produced, edited—and flew a drone. The result is a breathtaking look at grief and a system that continues to overlook the suffering of Native people.
