What is an arguably privileged actor-turned-filmmaker doing making a story about Lakota men on the Pine Ridge Reservation as they grapple with a world built against them and navigate unique paths to manhood? Well, having made lifelong friends in South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation when shooting the Andrea Arnold film, “American Honey,” actress Riley Keough felt compelled to tell one of their stories in the film “War Pony.”
READ MORE: Gina Gammell & Riley Keough’s ‘War Pony’ Is Overstuffed, But Admirable [Cannes Review]
Enlisting the help of filmmaker (and her half-sister) Gina Gammell, a screenwriter and producer on such films as the upcoming “Sweet Lamb of Heaven” and “Welcome the Stranger” (2018), “War Pony” made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival last year, where it was included in the aspiring Un Certain Regard Category.
“There is a way to responsibly collaborate or collaborate with love, because I think that — historically — these sorts of collaborations have been done as transactional, not sustainable and, frankly, hurtful,” Gammell told THR last year.
The cast mainly features unknown kids, but they’re all up-and-comers we should hopefully hear more from soon, including Jojo Bapteise Whiting, LaDainian Crazy Thunder, Robert Stover, and Stanley Good Voice Elk.
Here’s the official synopsis:
WAR PONY follows the interlocking stories of two young Oglala Lakota men growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation. At 23, Bill just wants to make something of himself. Whether it’s delivering goods or breeding Poodles, he is determined to hustle his way to the “American Dream.” Meanwhile, 12-year-old Matho can’t wait to become a man. Desperate for approval from his young father, a series of impulsive decisions turns Matho’s life upside down, and he finds himself unequipped to deal with the harsh realities of the adult world. Bound by their shared search for belonging, each of the boys grapples with identity, family, and loss as they navigate their unique paths to manhood.
Writers on the film include Franklin Sioux Bob, Bill Reddy, Gina Gammell, and Riley Keough, and producers on “War Pony” include Willi White, Ryan Zacarias (“A Chiara,” “A Ciambra”), Bert Hamelinck (“The Rider,” “The Sound of Metal”), Sacha Ben Harroche (“The Rider,” “The Sound of Metal”), Riley Keough, and Gina Gammell.
Momentum Pictures will release “War Pony” in select theaters and on-demand on July 28. Watch the new trailer below.
