2016 saw the peak of protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline, an oil project which threatened the water supply of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. The bitter battle will get the spotlight in the upcoming film On Sacred Ground from Shout! Studios and Collider can exclusively reveal a new clip that shows protesters preparing their resistance to the construction. The film centers on two individuals - Daniel (William Mapother), a military veteran and journalist documenting the historic protests, and Elliot (David Arquette), an oil executive pushing hard for the pipeline's installation - who take opposing sides in the battle over the project. As they take separate paths, one of the most vicious confrontations with Native Americans takes place as the controversial pipeline endangers a fundamental human right.
At nearly one and a half minutes, the clip is a tense look at the lead-up to the fight over the pipeline. Mary Singing Crow (Irene Bedard) briefs her fellow protesters and confirms their willingness to uphold Native American traditions while on their land. The room is completely silent as she details how catastrophic any leaks in the Dakota Access Pipeline could be. As she talks through the plan, it brings Daniel back to his days on the battlefield through flashbacks. He suffers from PTSD and the brutal fight against the pipeline may force him to confront his trauma and ultimately find redemption by helping the Native Americans.
Aside from starring, Mapother also helped pen and produce the environmental film alongside directors Josh and Rebecca Tickell. The husband and wife duo are no strangers to environmental films or activism in general. They previously directed the Netlfix documentary Kiss the Ground about the future of "regenerative agriculture" and the energetic Fuel which looked at energy in America. More recently, they've explored the power of millennial activists with The Revolution Generation. To add to the production team, they also nabbed Boy Band producer Wesley Hartshorn.
Who All Is Involved in the Tickells' On Sacred Ground?
The Tickells managed to pull together an intriguing cast to send home their powerful message. Mapother is best known as a character actor, appearing in a wide array of TV shows including Lost, The Mentalist, and Mad Men among many others. On the big screen, he also starred in Todd Field's Academy Award-nominated film In the Bedroom. Arquette, meanwhile, is a favorite among horror fanatics for his iconic role as Dewey Riley in the Scream franchise while Bedard is the voice behind the titular Native American woman in Disney's Pocahontas. Rounding out the cast are Amy Smart, Kerry Knuppe, Frances Fisher, Mariel Hemingway, David Midthunder, and Che Jim.
On Sacred Ground premieres digitally and in select theaters courtesy of Shout! Studios on January 13. Check out the exclusive clip below.