September 8, 2023
IGNITE featuring Franklin Sioux Bob & Willi White
12:30 PM - 1:50 PM
CEMA 101
We are very excited to have two of the filmmakers of WAR PONY joining us for IGNITE Colloquium (12:30 PM in CEMA 101) on their opening night, September 8th with the Friends of the Ross and the GESKE CINEMA SHOWCASE! Writer Franklin Sioux Bob and producer Willi White will be present at IGNITE colloquium for a Q and A, starting at 12:30 PM here in the Johnny Carson Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts, Room 101. For WAR PONY show times at the Mary Reipma Ross Media Arts Center, please visit: theross.org or call 402-472-5353.
Opening at the Ross September 8 through September 21, is WAR PONY, a coming of age story about two young Lakota men living on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The story is written by first-time writers Franklin Sioux Bob and Billy Reddy and produced by Willi White. The story captures the real world of contemporary life on the Pine Ridge Reservation. White’s contributions to story-telling and filmmaking are remarkable and WAR PONY is no exception.
“There’s such a power in our storytelling, especially for our young people. A lot of the kids don’t see themselves in these positions, but the more films we make about who we are, the more we can celebrate our existence as indigenous people.” Willi White — Collider
“Riley Keough and Gina Gammell’s stellar directing debut, starring many first-time actors, takes a deadpan look at a Lakota-Sioux reservation in South Dakota…….It has every right to be a furious tragedy. Instead, it’s a slacker comedy that swaps punchlines for laid-back, lived-in absurdities. The jokes land so feather-light you’re not sure if you should laugh.”
—Amy Nicholson, New York Times
SYNOPSIS
Stunning, tender and utterly compelling, WAR PONY tells the interlocking stories of two Oglala Lakota men coming of age on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
At 23, Bill (Jojo Bapteise Whiting) just wants to make something of himself. Whether it’s syphoning gas, delivering goods or breeding Poodles, he is determined to carve his way to the “American Dream.” Meanwhile, 12-year-old Matho (LaCainian Crazy Thunder) can’t wait to become a man. Desperate for approval from his young, unavailable father, a series of destructive decisions turns Matho’s life upside down and he finds himself unequipped to deal with the harsh realities of the adult world.
A powerful tale of life, hope and belonging on the Reservation. Featuring spellbinding performances from first-time actors Jojo Bapteise Whiting and LaDainian Crazy Thunder, and created over a period of several years, in collaboration with members of the Pine Ridge Reservation.
WAR PONY is the directorial debut of Riley Keough (Daisy Jones & The Six, Zola) and Gina Gammell, and written with first-time writers, Franklin Sioux Bob and Bill Reddy, and produced by Willi White.
SHORT: LOST BIRD - Zintkála Nuni (PRECEDING ALL SCREENINGS OF WAR PONY)
A tale of “found & lost” reveals the troubled life of a Lakota baby who survived the 1890 Massacre at Wounded Knee, only to struggle with identity and acceptance in white high-society circles, along with the loss of her own people, culture and heritage. Told in a montage of animated Ledger Art, vintage silent movie clips and historic photographs, to an original song by Brad Colerick. Animontage, image curation and editing by Scott Feldmann. (6 minutes)
WAR PONY is showing at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center on Friday Sept. 8 through Thursday Sept. 21. PRECEEDED BY LOST BIRD (Zintkála Nuni). Showtimes are available at www.theross.org, or by calling the MRRMAC film information line at 402-472-5353.
