Gather is an intimate portrait of the growing movement amongst Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political and cultural identities through food sovereignty, while battling the trauma of centuries of genocide.

Director Sanjay Rawal spoke with SeligFilmNews.com about the importance of a documentary like Gather, the wonderful people on screen and behind the scenes of the film, and also about where all we get to visit in this expansive film.

Gather follows Nephi Craig, a chef from the White Mountain Apache Nation (Arizona), opening an indigenous café as a nutritional recovery clinic; Elsie Dubray, a young scientist from the Cheyenne River Sioux Nation (South Dakota), conducting landmark studies on bison; and the Ancestral Guard, a group of environmental activists from the Yurok Nation (Northern California), trying to save the Klamath river.

Sanjay Rawal is A James Beard award winning filmmaker who’s documentaries have showcased global issues from many vantage points and his work is highlighted by a slew of celebrities and activists organizations and groups who champion him. Gather is Sanjay’s dive into the modern Native American push to recover, remember and redefine their culture. A documentary that opens your eyes to the rich historical impact this proud people have given and are giving to our country.

Here is our chat with Director Sanjay Rawal about his previous documentaries, this new film GATHER, and the great people that made this possible.