FESTIVAL PREMIERE
LIVE ACTION | SCI-FI | USA | 20 MINUTES | English
Hadaya
Writer and Director: Alika Sheyahshe Mteuzi
Major General Hadaya leads the Black and Indigenous Liberation Army (BILA) in an uprising to reclaim a society controlled by an oppressive regime. Set in the future, the film is a blend of encrypted broadcasts, surveillance, and psychic extractions detailing the 2033 rebellion. As the Liberation Army grapples with colonial domination, they employ undetectable, encrypted transmissions as a lifeline for a disconnected community, risking everything to stay one step ahead of detection. The story unfolds against a backdrop of tactical maneuvers and diplomatic struggles, revealing a world where war is a constant, but the hope for a peaceful, self-sustaining nation burns fiercely.
CAST & CREDITS
Director
Alika Sheyahshe Mteuzi (Black, Caddo, Cheyenne & Arapaho)
Producer
Sheila Rocha (Pure’pecha), Anthony Deiter (Plains Cree/Saulteaux)
Screenwriter
Alika Sheyahshe Mteuzi (Black, Caddo, Cheyenne & Arapaho)
Art Director
Bright (Ghana)
Director of Photography
Zach Huber (Kansas City, MO)
Key Cast
Tessema Meredith (Samoa) as Major General Hadaya, Montana Miller (Diné) as Major Wauneka, Cheryl Ann Dawson (Indigenous African) as Military General Hikima, Xia Herndon as Major Specialist Zoe (Indigenous African), Leandro Pita as Major Specialist Bobby (Afro-Peruvian) also starring Yvette Cruz (South Mexico), Midnite Lujan (Taos Pueblo), Avery Hale (Mandan, Hidatsa, San Carlos Apache, & San Felipe Pueblo), and Isaiah J St. Cyr (Ho-Chunk) in association with the Institute of American Indian Arts.
Directors Bio
An Albuquerque-based writer and director, Alika Sheyahshe Mteuzi (Caddo, Cheyenne & Arapaho) earned her BFA in Digital Arts from the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in 2023. Her work includes the acclaimed short “Hadaya:2033,” recognized by the Best Shorts Competition, AltFF Alternative Film Festival, New York International Film Festival, and the Institute of American Indian Arts Student Filmmaker Showcase in 2023. Her earlier work, “Rezd Out,” was awarded at the 10th Annual IAIA Filmmaker Showcase in 2022 and was an official selection at the High Desert Screening and Mindfield Film Festivals in Albuquerque, NM. Mteuzi’s work has been showcased at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) and the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery in Santa Fe, NM. As a recipient of the 2023 LIFT award from the Native Arts & Cultures Foundation, she’s currently developing the short film “BILA,” anticipated for a 2024 release, while preparing for her graduate film studies in the fall of the same year.
Directors Statement
My upbringing in a nation built upon the destruction of my people shapes my approach as an Afro-Indigenous artist. Drawing from the strength of revolutionaries like Assata Shakur and Haunani-Kay Trask, Hadaya:2033 is a testament to the resilience inherent in Black and Indigenous women, despite the onslaught of Americanism.
In this film, we aim to embody the resilience and enduring spirit of our communities, to weave a narrative that is not only reflective of our past struggles but also hopeful of our future. Hadaya:2033 is an expression of defiance and a testament to the strength found in our stories. It’s a story that seeks to challenge the status quo and offer a vision of what could be — a future where the marginalized are no longer just survivors, but creators of their destiny. This project is a personal and communal journey of reclamation, a step towards the liberation of our voices and stories in a world that has too often tried to silence them.
Showtimes
November 8th – December 31st
AMC The Grove 14
189 The Grove Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Parking
At The Theatre
