Non Western

On the eve of marriage, love collides with culture, power, and belonging

Non Western is an intimate documentary film set in Montana that follows Thaddeus and Nanci in the weeks leading up to their wedding, as personal histories and cultural expectations place their relationship under intense strain.

At fifteen, Thaddeus faced a stark reality on the Lame Deer reservation, where violence shaped daily life. Taken in by a white Christian family in Washington, he completed high school but was disowned by his mother, who accused him of becoming a white kid. Seeking respect and belonging, Thaddeus enlisted in the military and later returned carrying post traumatic stress from his deployment in Iraq. Today, he finds peace through Northern Cheyenne ceremonies, including running sweats, and is committed to living according to traditional Cheyenne values.

Nanci’s childhood was marked by poverty and instability. After her mother became homeless while fleeing domestic violence, Nanci was adopted by the Lakota tribe and found healing through Lakota ceremonies. She is white, holds a PhD in Childhood Literacy, and works as a university professor, yet continues to practise Native traditions despite never having lived permanently on a reservation. Her life reflects a constant negotiation between education, independence, and spiritual belonging.

As they prepare to marry, Thaddeus asks Nanci to convert fully to his Northern Cheyenne way of life, even if it means accepting a subordinate role. Nanci wants to please him, even at the cost of her feminist ideals and autonomy. Their struggle to build a shared home reveals fractures rooted in childhood trauma, gender expectations, and the legacy of oppression in Montana.

The film also weaves in stories of those around them, including Thaddeus’ mother Johanna, a survivor of abuse who has found peace through ceremony, and Nanci’s son Walker, who rejects being defined by identity labels. Non Western becomes a portrait of love, displacement, and power, asking where culture begins and ends, and how tradition can be honoured without repeating cycles of harm.