A woman wears a blanket draped around her shoulders. She sits with two young girls around a crackling fire in a fenced yard. The woman passes the girl wearing a black sweater a flashlight. The girl beside her, wearing a grey sweater, grabs the flashlight.

She says, GIVE IT. IT'S MINE!

The girl in the black sweater says, NONNIE GAVE ME
THE FLASHLIGHT FIRST!

The girl in the grey sweater groans as the girl in the black sweater pulls the flashlight away from her.

The girl in black says, NA NA, NA NA NA.

She flashes the light in the other girls face. The girl in grey tries to pull the flashlight back.

She says, GIVE IT BACK, YOU BUTT-HEAD!

Nonnie, the woman, grabs the flashlight.

She says, IT'S MINE.

Nonnie turns off the flashlight.

She says, NOW, SIT STILL AND LISTEN.

The girl in the grey sweater crosses her arms.

Nonnie says, YOU GIRLS MIGHT LEARN SOMETHING.

Nonnie looks at the fire.

She says, NOW IT'S THE STORY OF CREATION,
OF HOW THE RAVEN
STEALS THE LIGHT
TO FREE THE WORLD FROM DARKNESS.

The girl in the grey sweater licks her finger.

Nonnie adds, BACK IN TIME,
WHEN THERE WERE NO STARS…

The girl in the grey sweater puts her licked finger in the other girls ear.

The girl in the black sweater groans, UGH!

She covers her ears.

Nonnie continues, …AND NO MOON
TO LIGHT UP THE EVENING SKY.

Nonnie looks up at the night sky as smoke rises from the fire.

She narrates, IN THE BEGINNING,
THE EARTH WAS VEILED
IN COMPLETE DARKNESS.

A smoky title reads, Raven Steals the Light.

Nonnie narrates, INKY, PITCHY,
ALL CONSUMING DARK,
BLACKER THAN THE
EMPTIEST REACHES OF SPACE.

Darkness covers mountains and trees.

Nonnie narrates, YOU CAN IMAGINE IT
WAS VERY DIFFICULT
TO GET ANYTHING DONE.

A red and white raven flies over the trees.

Nonnie narrates, AND ONE ANIMAL IN
PARTICULAR, THE RAVEN,
WAS PRETTY FRUSTRATED
WITH THE STATE OF AFFAIRS.

The Raven says, I CAN'T EVEN SEE
WHERE I'M GOING.
HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO
FIND SOMETHING TO EAT
OR FIND A PLACE TO SLEEP?

The Raven flies into a totem pole in front of a tall cabin and groans. Light bursts out of cracks in the cabins walls as The Raven slides down the totem pole. Birds chirp in the distance.

A person says, I HAVE BOXES WITHIN BOXES.

Inside the cabin, a man wearing eagle regalia stands at a table with a collection of boxes with different carvings. He controls electricity between his hands.

The man says, AND IN THE SMALLEST BOX
IS ALL THE LIGHT IN THE WORLD.

The man retrieves a ball of light from the smallest box and holds it between his hands.

He says, AND IT'S MINE.
ALL MINE.

A woman joins the man.

She says, SKY FATHER, IF
YOU SHARED THE LIGHT,
I COULD FIND A HUSBAND AND -

Sky Father cuts the woman off.

He says, HUSH, EARTH DAUGHTER!
I CAN NEVER GIVE
UP ANY OF THE LIGHT,
NOT EVEN TO YOU, MY CHILD.

Nonnie narrates, SKY FATHER'S
FEAR WAS THAT EARTH DAUGHTER
WOULD LEAVE HIM AND
HE WOULD BE ALONE
FOREVER.

The Raven caws.

He says, THAT OLD MAN
DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE HAS.

The Raven admires the light coming out of the cabin.

He says, WITH THE LIGHT,
I COULD FLY ALL
DAY AND STEAL FOOD,
HIDE AMONG MEN AND
AND PLAY PRACTICAL JOKES.
BUT HOW DO I GET IN THAT HOUSE?

The Raven caws.

Nonnie narrates, AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT,
JUST AT THAT MOMENT,
SKY FATHER'S
DAUGHTER LEFT THE HOUSE.

The Raven watches Earth Daughter leave.

Earth Daughter says, IF ONLY SKY FATHER
COULD UNDERSTAND
THAT WHEN THE LIGHT IS FREED,
I CAN MEET A
HUSBAND AND HAVE MY SON.

Earth Daughter kneels beside a lake with a bucket. The Raven flies above her.

Nonnie narrates, THE RAVEN
WAS A CRAFTY CREATURE
AND QUICKLY TRANSFORMED HIMSELF
INTO A PINE NEEDLE THAT DRIFTED
INTO EARTH DAUGHTER'S
DRINKING WATER.

Earth Daughter collects water with the bucket and takes a drink.

Nonnie narrates, AS SHE SWALLOWED,
HE SETTLED DEEP INSIDE OF HER
AND FOUND HIMSELF A NICE,
WARM SPOT AND WENT TO SLEEP.

The Raven, as a pine needle, rests in Earth Daughter. Earth Daughter carries fire wood in the cabin.

Nonnie narrates, EARTH DAUGHTER WENT
ALONG WITH HER DAILY CHORES,
NOT REALIZING THERE WAS
LIFE STIRRING INSIDE OF HER.

Earth Daughter holds a young child.

Nonnie narrates, AND THEN ONE DAY,
SHE GAVE BIRTH TO A
VERY ODD LOOKING CHILD
WITH A LONG BEAK LIKE NOSE,
A FEW FEATHERS HERE AND THERE,
THICK BLACK HAIR,
THE SHINING EYES OF A RAVEN.
AND HE WAS NOISY!
HIS MAIN CRY WAS
BETWEEN A SPOILED CHILD
AND AN ANGRY RAVEN.

The child caws like a raven.

Nonnie narrates, BUT SOMETIMES HE COULD
SLIP INTO SOFT DULCET TONES
AND BEAUTIFUL SING SONG.

The child sings softly in a crib.

Sky Father says, EARTH DAUGHTER,
WHAT DOES MY GRANDSON WANT?
WHAT IS HE SAYING?
I CAN'T UNDERSTAND HIM.

Earth Daughter says, HE IS ASKING FOR THE BOX
TO PLAY WITH, SKY FATHER.
SKY FATHER COULD SEE NO
HARM IN GIVING HIS GRANDSON
THE LARGEST BOX TO PLAY WITH.

The child plays with a large box with cravings of different animals.

Nonnie narrates, THIS SATISFIED THE
BOY FOR A MOMENT
BUT HE KEPT ASKING FOR
THE SMALLER BOX TO PLAY WITH
UNTIL ONLY THE
SMALLEST BOX REMAINED.

The child says, PLEASE LET ME HOLD
THE LIGHT, GRANDFATHER,
JUST FOR A MINUTE.

Sky Father says, YOU KNOW I LOVE
YOU LIKE MY OWN SON
AND HAVE GIVEN IN
TO ALL YOUR DEMANDS
BUT THIS I
CANNOT DO, LITTLE ONE.
THE LIGHT IS MINE.

Electricity crackles around Sky Father.

Sky Father says, ALL MINE.
EARTH DAUGHTER, WHO COULD
NOT DENY HER SON ANYTHING,
GRABBED THE BOX AND
TOSSED THE BALL OF LIGHT
TO THE DELIGHTED CHILD.

(Dramatic music plays)

The child transforms back to The Raven and flies away with the ball of light. Earth Daughter and Sky Father gasp. Sky Father transforms into an Eagle. The Raven flies away from the cabin.

Nonnie narrates, SO CAUGHT UP IN
THE SIGHT OF THE NEW WORLD,
THE RAVEN NEVER SAW
THE EAGLE'S SHADOW
UNTIL IT WAS
ALMOST ON TOP OF HIM.

Sky Father, as an eagle, says, I AM HUNGRY, LITTLE BIRD,
AND I WANT THAT BALL OF LIGHT.

The Raven squawks.

He says, THIS LIGHT IS MINE, EAGLE.
I STOLE IT,
FAIR AND SQUARE.

The Raven squawks.

Nonnie narrates, AS THE
RAVEN LED THE EAGLE
ON A HIGH SPEED CHASE
THROUGH VALLEYS
AND OVER WATERWAYS,
PART OF THE BALL OF LIGHT
FELL INTO THE MOUNTAINS,
BREAKING OFF
INTO ONE LARGE PIECE
AND MANY SMALLER ONES.

In the night sky, the piece of the ball of light becomes the moon and stars.

Sky Father says, WHEN I AM DONE
EATING YOU, LITTLE BIRD,
I AM TAKING THE STARS, THE MOON,
AND ALL THE LIGHT BACK WITH ME.
THAT'S MINE.
ALL MINE!

Nonnie narrates, THE CHASE
CONTINUED FAR ACROSS THE OCEAN
BEFORE THE EAGLE
TIRED AND TURNED BACK.
THE RAVEN WAS SO EXHAUSTED.
AS HE MADE HIS WAY BACK TO LAND,
HE DROPPED THE
REMAINING BALL OF LIGHT
WHERE IT BEGAN
RISING ON THE HORIZON.

The Raven continues his flight over the ocean as the sky begins to brighten behind him.

Nonnie narrates, AS THE SUN DAWNED ON A NEW DAY,
IT ILLUMINATED EARTH DAUGHTER
WALKING TOWARDS A MAN
WHO WAS DEFINITE
HUSBAND MATERIAL.

Earth Daughter greets a man.

Nonnie narrates, THE EAGLE SAW THIS FROM THE SKY.

A tear drops from The Eagle’s eye.

Nonnie narrates, HE KNEW THAT HE
HAD LOST HIS DAUGHTER
AND FLEW OFF IN A RAGE.

Sky Father, as the eagle, yells angrily.

(Steady drum music plays)

Birds chirp as the sun begins to light the sky around Nonnie and the girls seated around their fire. The girl in grey holds her arm around the other girl.

The girl in black says, BUT NONNIE, WHAT
HAPPENED TO THE RAVEN?

The girl in grey says, HOW,
HOW COULD HE CHANGE INTO A PINE
NEEDLE AND BECOME A MAN?

Nonnie chuckles quietly and smiles.

She and says, LOVES OF MY LIFE,
THE RAVEN LIVES
ON IN THESE STORIES
AND IN OUR IMAGINATIONS.
AS FAR AS TURNING
INTO A PINE NEEDLE…

Nonnie stands.

She says, …OR A MAN,
WELL, THE RAVEN CAN CHANGE
INTO ANYTHING SHE WANTS.

Nonnie pulls off her blanket and transforms into the animated Raven. The Raven squawks. The girls look up at the sky as a shadow of The Raven passes over them. The Raven’s shadow is followed by one of an eagle.

(Eagle yelling)

(Traditional flute and drum music plays)

Raven Steals the Light.

Writer/director Daniel Foreman.

Producer Sharlene Millang.

A Groove Soldier Production.