The Taking

Category:
Sequence Design, Illustration

Instructor:
Aaron Björk

The documentary, The Taking, explores how Western films have often overlooked the rich history and culture of the indigenous peoples in Monument Valley in Arizona, leading to a skewed narrative that has misled audiences.

Using a bullet as a symbol of the invader, this sequence aims to highlight how indigenous cultures have been eroded and destroyed by external forces. As the bullet causes destruction, it also introduces Western culture. It highlights the gradual disappearance of indigenous traditions under the Western influence.

The bullet is the narrator or the invader to reveal the whole story.I drew inspiration from old western film compositions and the texture of individualistic hero comics to create illustration-based frames. The story begins with a classic Western movie perspective, featuring guns and cowboys as symbols of typical Western culture.

As the bullet is fired, it travels through different parts of Monument Valley, destroying its original landscape while gradually introducing classic American Western culture. In the end, with the bullet’s final wave and lingering smoke, the original culture fades away completely.

The shift from black-and-white to color represents the Anglo invasion of Navajo land. The fully colored Monument Valley symbolizes the loss of Indigenous culture, leaving only a superficial version of Western culture.

Peilin Li