Fox Maxy’s work proves that ICT can liberate YA’s voices (by Sandra)

 Filmography-

Title: Maat means land (2020)

Author: Fox Maxy

Time: 30’

Fox Maxy, a young and independent filmmaker from California, who has Kumeyaay and Payómkawichum ancestry, has managed to incorporate into his work the essence of what it means to be a Native American, offering a new viewpoint on issues such as identity, culture, colonization, and decolonization in the United States. Regardless of Maxy’s modest work background, which was originally shared on social media, his work gradually and steadily gained prestige among his followers. Not until the Covid-19 pandemic quarantine did he start editing the long-data collected material by using the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools. Immediately, his work acquired relevant international repercussions as it was shown at festivals such as the BAM Cinema Fest, the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), the imagine NATIVE Festival, the MoMA's Doc Fortnight, LACMA, and the Camden International Film Festival 1 .

Maxy’s productions are collages of different types of footage, from intimate conversations with friends to social media videos. According to his own words, his films do not follow traditional filmmaking rules or protocols as filmmaking is for him like every other aspect of being alive. For example, in 'Maat means Land', a 30-minute short film, the author shows, through non-traditional techniques, a sensitive and fragmentary journey through various ideas while traveling around the Native American territory. The author critically shows how displacement and colonization have altered native Americans’ lives, landscape, and culture, a matter which continuously arises in his film to question how white society represents the original land inhabitants and how his people are affected by the environment they have been forced to dwell. Also, his anarchic editing, which escapes any conventional pattern of cinematographic narration, provides extra connotations to his rebellious political and ideological position toward identity and ​​territory.

I believe that Maxy's creative and personal work is a strong testimony of how ICT has the power to offer invaluable and countless resources for Young Adults (YA) to make their creations visible and have their voices heard, and to encourage them to stand up for their beliefs and rights, regardless of their social or cultural backgrounds, or the training they have on filmmaking procedures or traditional aesthetics.

‘Maat means land’ intervenes with outstanding creativity in the gap and conflicts of our time. First, it tackles private property, a capitalist and colonialist obsession. On the other hand, it addresses the claims of the original owners of the ‘land’, who have permanently been abandoned and neglected. To do so, Maxy takes every tool and resource he can count on (sound editing, novel and experimental montage) to produce a unique piece of art. This anarchic short film evidences the author’s search for freedom and independence, and his approach is always critical. Every artist must always have a critical viewpoint and, if necessary, deviate from and subvert the traditional norms. In that way, their cultural and ideological productions become unique, stimulating, and provocative. (Lazar, 1993) 2 Considering Fox Maxy’s experience and art production, YA may profit from his work and realize how powerful creativity can be. They may start feeling independent from the need to follow rigid patterns and feel free to appropriate the ICT and use it as a weapon to change the world that surrounds them. Maxy’s fragmented and allegedly illogical work proves that audiovisual production may be used to win the silenced battles that YA face daily, stand for political ideologies, and crack patriarchal standards.

Although Maxy had the chance to get in contact with advertising and editing in college, he chose to follow and draw his own professional path as he considers that the filming industry is based on racism and sexism. However, this was not an obstacle for him, as Maxy took advantage of ICT to edit, create, and share his work. Nowadays, ICT plays a crucial role in YA’s rise to prominence on a global scale. It provides young people with a field where they can mobilize, express themselves, and collaborate with relevant causes. ICT gives them a voice and has the power to connect them with peers beyond barriers of all kinds: geopolitical, cultural, and gender. For young people, having access to ICT means better opportunities for participation in social, political, and economic processes; it also has the potential to provide recognition, freedom, and autonomy. Consequently, Maxy’s work may inspire the young generations to appropriate ICT and start changing their worlds by expressing their personalities and capabilities, building a sense of community, solidarity, and self-esteem.

Fox Maxy had been unaware of his indigenous background for many years. His foster mother is from Brooklyn, and his father, from Chicago. Consequently, he spent most of his life visiting big cities and feeling like an outsider, uncertain of whom he was as he coexisted only with white supremacists’ or Mexicans’ children. Discrimination, rage and racism were common currency around him during those years until he learned about his Native ancestors. Since then, Maxy has been exhausting his potential and his passion for storytelling to spread what is relevant to him. He spends his days connecting with his family in the reservation, learning about his culture, walking through some of those mountain areas, and filming. His work and life demonstrate the relevance of feeling part of a community, having some purpose in life, and being accepted and recognized. Despite belonging to one of the oppressed minorities, his film has become an empowering tool to join forces, speak up and reach unexpected audiences worldwide. This fact has become an example of how influential and potent art can be and how it can be exploited by all minorities who do not have a place in the traditional and discriminatory art world. As YA are part of the excluded, underestimated, and marginalized, having access to ICT to express themselves, relate to peers, family, origins, purpose, and support can help them build and grow a sense of belonging to a cause, a world, an era.

Increasingly, ICT is considered a powerful development tool as it provides a virtual and vast ground for communication and exchange of knowledge and information, particularly for YA, who are natural adopters of new technologies to be a means for innovation, creativity and change. Fox Maxy has strongly stated through his work and words that YA can become independent creators, as they do not need to always follow instructions but to create their style and rules to become what they truly want to be. YA can use the tools ICT offers to overcome their social limitations, find recognition among their peers, help others, join meaningful causes, reach the vast world awaiting them, and build their true potential.

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1 Delgado, Mónica (2021). MUTA 2021: Maat Means Land y San Diego de Fox Maxy. Recovered from https://desistfilm.com/muta-2021-maat-means-land-y-san-diego-de-fox-maxy/.

2 Lazar, Gillian. (1993) Literature and Language Teaching. A guide for Teachers and  Trainers. Cambridge University Press. 19th edition. The United Kingdom.