It's turning out to be a very busy year for Jessica Chastain, one that may find her occupying a lot of the awards season discussion. Already having starred in The Zookeeper's Wife, she has Aaron Sorkin's Molly's Game coming up, plus Xavier Dolan's next film and potentially X-Men: Dark Phoenix. But she also has another possible awards contender in biopic Woman Walks Ahead, in which she stars as Sitting Bull's confidante, Catherine Weldon.
The first look at the film has arrived before its world premiere at TIFF. Directed by Susanna White (Our Kind of Traitor) and co-starring Michael Greyeyes, Sam Rockwell, and Ciaran Hinds, the story centers on Weldon, an American woman who becomes Sitting Bull's trusted adviser and friend, helping to fight for Native American rights. Here's the synopsis:
Based on true events, Woman Walks Ahead tells the story of Catherine Weldon, a widowed artist from New York in the 1880s, who traveled to North Dakota to paint a portrait of Chief Sitting Bull. Catherine and Sitting Bull, each broken in their own way, come to recognize their mutual strength. Soon, the wider political struggle for Native American land rights influences their friendship. Catherine and Sitting Bull overcome personal adversity to fight against the US government’s takeover of the Plains Indians’ lands.
