During a forbidding Alaska winter two abandoned elderly women decide whether they will try to survive or resign themselves to death.
About the Film
Two elderly Gwich’in women —Ch’idzigyaak and Sa’—find themselves abandoned by their tribe during a brutally harsh famine.
Devastated and scared of what the future holds, Sa' must convince Ch'idzigyaak that their survival is worth a fight and 'if we are going to die,then we should die trying to live'.
Based on the novel by Velma Wallis “Two Old Women: An Alaskan Legend of Betrayal, Courage, and Survival"
Director’s Statement
“I remember reading the book for the first time. I was just so blown away to see our Gwich'in culture and this traditional story written down by Velma Wallis. She did such an amazing job of creating and bringing us into the world of these characters, Sa’ and Ch’idzigyaak. I immediately identified with them, this sense of abandonment and the choices they have to make.”
~ Princess Daazhaii Johnson in conversation with Shondiin Mayo
About the Production
Shaaghan Neekwaii: Two Old Women is the first screen adaptation of Velma Wallis’s 1993 novel, filmed in Fairbanks, Alaska, and told entirely in the Gwich’in language. Directed by Gwich’in filmmaker Princess Daazhraii Johnson and starring Margaret Henry John and Brenda Kay Newman, the film explores themes of survival and resilience. Wallis has supported Johnson since she was first inspired by the book in her youth. “We know this story from our bones,” Wallis says. The film was produced by Deenaadai Productions, in partnership with Girinkhii - a Gwich'in language revitalization and cultural preservation organization.