"Sooyii" Film of 1700's Native American Smallpox Pandemic Enters Postproduction

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sooyii, the story of the one of the first pandemics that swept North America and decimated Native American tribes across the Western American territories, has wrapped principal filming and is currently in post-production. Sooyii features an entirely Blackfeet cast and is filmed in the original language (with subtitles), making it one of the few movies to truly celebrate authentic Native American history.

Sooyii is developed in cooperation with the Blackfeet Tribe of Montana, supported by several Blackfeet producers and crew members. The story is narrated through the eyes of a young Blackfeet warrior who struggles with the disease, brought by Europeans, as it ravages the villages where he grew up, forever changing his world. Like the current pandemic, the outbreak served as both a unifying and polarizing force. The protagonist struggles with tribal identity and embraces those he perceives as enemies, in a battle with a bigger, invisible antagonist.

"Sooyii is a story lost in time, presented as a representation of a forgotten pandemic, and one that reminds us that what we are dealing with truly is ancient history," says Pat "Judge" Hall, Producer and Locations Wrangler for Creatures.

"We were incredibly fortunate to receive the cooperation of the Blackfeet Nation, enabling the shooting of a movie about a pandemic during an actual pandemic. The people of the Blackfeet Nation wanted this story to be shared with the world as a way of understanding how the first group of Americans coped with their pandemic," says Hungarian born director and writer Kristian Kery.

Cast: Stormee Kipp, Cheyenne Gordon, Danny Edmo, Emmette Dusty Bull, Michael Momberg, Doug Fitzgerald, Camden Croff, Smiley Deboo, Jesse Desrosier.    

For more information: www.sooyiimovie.com
IMDb: Sooyii 
Facebook: @sooyiimovie 

Claire Richards: [email protected]  (312) 576-8593 

SOURCE Blackfeet Reservation