The Boxers of Brule
TFI Suppport
Logline
Shaionna, a young Lakota woman, creates a girls' boxing team to combat the youth suicide epidemic threatening the Lower Brule Sioux Reservation. With the odds stacked against her, Shaionna must confront her own demons as she fights to bring hope and healing to her community.
Shiala Grey-Sky King
Co-producer
Shiala is a Lakota painter with a passion for philosophy and a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Born and raised in South Dakota, Shiala was exposed to both the culture and the dysfunction of crumbling Sioux reservations; a strange and beautiful mix of song, dance, eagle feathers and decay. She grew up holding a camera, on the shoulders of journalist parents. Her introduction to human rights and media began at age eight when her parents debuted their newspaper, "The Native Voice.” Today Shiala fights for Indigenous rights through projects ranging from traditional Navajo weaving to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, working to expose the plight of her people through film, art, writing, graphic design, and community outreach campaigns.
Jessie Adler
Director, Co-producer, Cinematographer, Editor
Jessie is a documentary filmmaker and cinematographer based in Brooklyn, NY. In 2014 she began working as a Human Rights Storyteller for EarthRights International, collaborating with indigenous communities in the Mekong and Amazon regions to advocate for human and environmental rights. Her dedication to using video for advocacy and empowerment lead her to the School of Visual Arts’ Social Documentary Film program, where she received an MFA in May 2018. "The Boxers of Brule" is her directorial documentary feature debut.
Hanna Nordenswan
Associate Producer, Additional Sound Recorder
Hanna Nordenswan is a Finnish freelance journalist with an MFA degree in documentary filmmaking from the School of Visual Arts. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Helsinki and has worked as a journalist both in Finland and internationally, for print as well as for radio. As a filmmaker, Hanna focuses on the stories of people around us that are rarely heard. Her first documentary short “My Turn” (2013) screened at several international film festivals.
