Woman Walks Ahead

A strong-willed nonconformist, Swissborn, New York–bred Catherine Weldon (Jessica Chastain) lived life on her own terms. She was a passionate painter, and by the 1880s had become committed to the cause of Native Americans. Woman Walks Ahead chronicles Weldon's journey to Dakota to paint Hunkpapa Lakota holy man Sitting Bull (Michael Greyeyes). Far more than a mere portrait session, the meeting inspires a conversation that will change both artist and subject. Weldon became Sitting Bull's secretary, interpreter, and advocate, but not before these two powerful people would contend with their differences in assumptions, in outlook, and in the long reach of their respective histories. (Toronto International Film Festival)