Documentarian Kim Bartley and Star, Sharmaine Weed Discuss Pure Grit Making its U.S. Premiere at Newport Beach Film Festival.
Documentarian Kim Bartley and Star, Sharmaine Weed Discuss Pure Grit Making its U.S. Premiere at Newport Beach Film Festival on Sunday, October 24th, 3:15 PM at South Coast Village.
Pure Grit makes its U.S. Premiere at Newport Beach Film Festival and we were lucky enough to speak with Irish documentarian, Kim Bartley and the star of the film, Sharmaine Weed.
Weed is a Bareback Horse Racing Champion from the Wind River reservation in Northern Wyoming and is enrolled in the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes.
Weed had grown up suffering abuse and self-medicated when no one believed her stories, claiming they were false accusations that turned out to be 100 percent true, taking the witness stand for 6-hours against her abuser — alone.
Pure Grit is a powerful documentary that transcends genres. It is not an LGBTQ+ documentary. It is not a Native American/First Nations documentary. It is not a Sports documentary. Pure Grit is a Human Condition documentary that tells the story of an abuse survivor, who came over self-destructive behavior to become a world champion and that is the most important part in Sharmaine Weed’s story.
Official Synopsis:
Pure Grit is both a thrilling tale of extreme bareback horse racing, and an intimate love story. Chronicling three years in the life of a young Native American bareback horse racer, her unwavering determination, and the relationships that sustain her.
Sharmaine is a former horse racing champion, determined to ride and win. It’s been a year since she last raced. A year since her sister was paralyzed in a catastrophic accident on the track. Sharmaine quit racing to care for her. In the stunning Wyoming wilderness of the Wind River reservation, Sharmaine and her new girlfriend Savannah begin to build a life for themselves. They hope for better. But the atmosphere at home soon deteriorates and the young lovers are forced to leave for the industrial Commerce City, Denver. The city brings freedom and opportunity, but also distractions and a strain on their fledgling relationship. When racing season starts up, Sharmaine and Savannah hit the road and put it all on the line. With a new horse from her city earnings, Sharmaine sees the potential for a fresh start, but life, like the race track, doesn’t always go according to plan.
Pure Grit makes its U.S. Premiere at Newport Beach Film Festival on October 24, 2021 at 3:15 PM at South Coast Village.
To purchase tickets for Pure Grit visit nbff2021.eventive.org.
South Coast Village is located at:
1561 Sunflower Ave,
Santa Ana, CA 92704
