NDN Time

After a lightning strike electrocutes an aspiring Tewa scientist, she reluctantly must learn to control her new dimension-bending abilities to protect the world from quantum threats and avenge her brother's death.

  • Charine Pilar Gonzales
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Television Script
  • Genres:
    Fantasy, Drama, Dramedy
  • Number of Pages:
    48
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Writer Biography - Charine Pilar Gonzales

Charine Pilar Gonzales is a Tewa filmmaker from San Ildefonso Pueblo and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Charine’s Tewa name is “Ku’yan Povi” which translates to Turquoise Flower. Her esteemed short doc Our Quiyo: Maria Martinez (2022) premiered at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and was acquired by AT&T and Comcast Xfinity. Charine’s debut narrative fiction short film, River Bank (Pō-Kehgeh), is currently in the film festival circuit. Charine aims to intertwine memories, dreams and truths through story.

Charine is a Producer for the Native Lens project, a crowdsourced collaboration by KSUT Tribal Radio and Rocky Mountain PBS. She owns the multimedia production company, Povi Studios. Charine attends the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) MFA Creative Writing program with a focus in Screenwriting. She also earned a BFA in Cinematic Arts and Technology from IAIA and a BA in English - Communication from Fort Lewis College (FLC).

Charine is an alumni of the Sundance Institute Indigenous Program Full Circle Fellowship, Native Lab AiR, and Indigenous Film Opportunity Fellowship. She’s also an alumni of the LA Skins Fest TV Writers Lab and Native American Animation Lab. She received the First Peoples Fund ABL Fellowship and participated in the Jackson Wild Summit Media Lab and MCA Fellowship. Charine is represented by Rain Management Group, based in LA. Her favorite foods are Pueblo oven bread, red chile stew, and chicos. She resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her family and chunky orange tabby cat, Cheddar.

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Writer Statement

The title, NDN Time, refers to the phrase “Indian Time” but aims to redefine the meaning through the grief felt by my protagonist, Bonnie. NDN Time in reference to “being late” is actually a concept born from years of generational trauma and colonization. I believe a more Tewa perspective of “NDN Time” is actually about being in the moment and in our own timeline, which is connected to the greater circle of time, rather than relying on systems that were born to tear us down and make us feel bad for “being late” in reference to grief, growth, and happiness. Ultimately, NDN Time is about Bonnie's growth through grief. She finds ways to be “present” and grateful for being in the moment.