Casse Kihúut (Payómkawichum/Mexicana) is a queer indigenous/mexicana filmmaker and artist.
She began her studies at California College of the Arts with a focus on painting and drawing, but quickly realized the power of the camera. Since the age of 12, she has always had a camera in her hand and began editing films. At film school, Kihuut’s first series of films focused on the complexities of familial relationships and dissected the feelings of depression, lust, and control. Within her final years of film school, she focused on Indigenous stories as she also became closer to her tribe and her community.
Her thesis film “Woman Who Blooms At Night”, a 25-minute short was a true labor of love manifested through the global pandemic. This is where Kihuut found her voice as a director, led a team of strong femme department leads, and did not shy away from confronting the issue of domestic violence within tribal communities. Her work delves into the complexities of identity as she is a reconnecting Native raised far from her lands; She has committed her tribe to always continue learning. Kihuut aims to decolonize the process of filmmaking by generating new protocols and pathways to approach production in a less exploitative method of creation to a more gentle and Indigenous approach to storytelling.