Free Leonard Peltier

Free Leonard Peltier is a full-length documentary centered on Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist connected to the American Indian Movement (AIM), and the long-running campaign tied to his imprisonment. Helmed by David France and Jesse Short Bull, the film looks back at the political friction of the 1970s, a time when AIM contested how Indigenous communities were treated and pushed for Native American rights.

The documentary looks into the 1975 shootout on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, in which two FBI agents lost their lives. Peltier was later found guilty of those murders and handed two life sentences. He insisted he was innocent, and his case drew ongoing criticism along with demands to reexamine the conviction.

Drawing on archival records and historical background, the film delves into the clash between Indigenous activists and federal authorities, the events that led to Peltier’s prosecution, and those who kept fighting for his release. It further ties his personal experience to wider issues concerning Indigenous rights, the American justice system, and how political dissent is handled.

President Joe Biden commuted Peltier’s sentence in January 2025, permitting him to serve what remained under home confinement. The documentary recounts the decades-long push for his release while underscoring why activists keep pressing for complete exoneration. It gives viewers a historical overview of a case that continues to be heavily disputed.