Jessica Chastain on the Unconventional Love Story of 'Woman Walks Ahead' | TIFF 2017 - video Dailymotion

Actors Jessica Chastain, Michael Greyeyes, and Sam Rockwell and director Susanna White discuss their new film, 'Woman Walks Ahead' at TIFF 2017.

Transcript

00:00Suzanne and I had met over dinner in London about a year before, but I didn't know Sam and I didn't know Jessica.

00:07I'd been circling Michael. I had his eye on him. There were very few people in the world who could have played Suiting Bull,

00:11and Michael was the man, so I was keeping a firm watch on him.

00:15Yeah, man!

00:22Woman Walks Ahead is based on a true story of Catherine Weldon, a painter from Brooklyn

00:27who travels across the United States to paint the portrait of Hunk Papa, Holy Man, Sitting Bull.

00:34And in doing so, two people learn to trust each other and ultimately fall in love.

00:43It's a very unconventional love story set against this amazing backdrop.

00:48Well, when I read the script, the wonderful script written by Stephen Knight,

00:52I was kind of blown away by the story of Catherine Weldon.

00:56I love history and I was shocked that I had never heard about her.

01:01So I did some studying and I realized actually it is true.

01:04There was a Catherine Weldon who, 30 years before women had the right to vote, traveled to North Dakota

01:09and developed this very deep friendship and love with Sitting Bull.

01:14And what was so inspiring to me was these two oppressed people in a society where the country is being formed,

01:21and their love and friendship creates hope.

01:26Well, I think it shines a spotlight on a forgotten piece of history.

01:30One of our Lakota advisors, Ben Blackbear, said to me when he saw the movie, he said,

01:35wow, this is history we never learn in schools, and I hope as a result of the movie,

01:40our children will be taught something different, taught another version of history.

01:44So I hope it will make people think by shining that beam.

01:49And I think the issues still are very current.

01:52It's the role of a lifetime, you know, certainly, and to play like a real hero.

01:57Sitting Bull is a legendary figure, and I have an obligation as an Indigenous person,

02:03as an artist that cares about representation.

02:06And, you know, I'm there to represent a community, a family, like his family still lives,

02:11and Standing Rock is his home.

02:14So I felt a huge obligation and responsibility to play him with integrity and with passion.