Native activist and filmmaker Cody Lucich captures the electric spirit of Standing Rock from the epicenter. From the initial gathering days on the Standing Rock reservation, the movement grew to thousands of water protectors, living in a protest camp and resisting construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Akicita focuses on the voices of young Native warriors who stepped up to lead the charge, expressing the beats of the movement from every front—confrontations with the police, the vibrant daily customs of the camp, and more. Through the eyes of the young Native protesters, the struggle feels deeply personal. In his fresh debut feature, Lucich’s nontraditional approach marries stylized pacing with a sweeping fluid rhythm of the camera. Lucich captures the immense scope of the protests and the all-consuming feeling of being swept up in this fight. The largest Native occupation since Wounded Knee, the protests at Standing Rock conjure conflicts of the past and the urgency deeply rooted in our present times.