FESTIVAL PREMIERE
Nicholas Black Elk, a Lakota chief on the path of Christ
Director: Nina Barbier
The Oglala Lakota chief, Black Elk, stands as one of the most revered Native American figures in history. Healer, shaman, and Catholic spiritual leader, Nicholas Black Elk was a bridge between between two seemingly radically opposed worlds. Born in 1866 in the Black Hills (South Dakota) and died in 1950— Black Elk is undoubtedly the world’s best-known Native American spiritual leader. However, very few people are familiar with his extraordinary life story. Second cousin of the illustrious Chief Crazy Horse, Black Elk was raised in the Oglala Lakota Sioux tradition to become a medicine man, like his father, uncles, and grandfather.
At a very young age, he began to have paranormal visions. At the age of 9, Black Elk was set apart to fast and pray to the spirits as part of a Lakota rite of passage; he had a vision on Harney Peak in the Black Hills. There, he saw the planned extermination of his people and received commandments from the six grandfathers of the Sioux nation. A few years later, Black Elk took part in the battles of Little Big Horn (Montana) and Wounded Knee (South Dakota). Around the age of 20, Black Elk encountered the Catholic faith and converted. The uniqueness of Black Elk’s journey and its extraordinary symbolic and spiritual significance stem from the fact that he encountered Christ and discovered his teachings outside the colonial structures that had been imposed on the Native American peoples of North America.
CAST & CREDITS
Director
Nina Barbier
Writer
Nina Barbier
Producer
Emmanuel Querry
Key Cast
Damian Costello
DIRECTORS BIO
Author and director for television and immersive experiences, Nina Barbier graduated in Colombia University film school in New York (1984) . She has worked since for the main french TV channels (ARTE, France 2, France O, France 5) and abroad ( ZDF, TSR, RTBF, BBC 4) on historical, economy, discovery and religion documentaries. Among her works is the docudrama “The Myth of the Mermaid” in the footsteps of François Truffaut’s feature film “La sirène du Mississipi” (France Overseas, Cine + Classic, France Ô ) and ” Madame Tussaud, a life in wax ” (Arte, BBC 4, TSF, RTBF ).
In 2020, she directed her first VR experience « The starry sand beach » in collaboration with Huang Hsin Chen, a taiwanese multi media artist , coproduction Lucid Realities Studio in Paris – TAICCA ( Taiwan Creative Content Agency) , C.N.C. and Museum of Natural History in Paris. The experience was shown in 2022 in the main international VR festivals ( Smart Fipa Biarritz, Venice XR Mostra, Cannes XR, Stereopsia Bruxelles, New Images ) and got and award at the Tokyo VR festival.
In 2023, she was the recipient of the immersive writing grant « Villa Formose » in Taipei, where she developed the VR project « Sosowon, the season of the flying fish » . The project is founded by the Taiwanese Ministry of Culture and TAICCA ( Taiwan creative content Agency) and coproduced by Serendipity films and Moonshine studio in Taipei. The experience premiered in 2025 at the Kaoshiung film festival, XR dreamland selection ( Taïwan) and got the audience award. Her documentary ” Healing of the dragonfly” about a Sioux Lakota artist, Joe Pulliam, directed in 2024 has been selected in the main natives films festivals in the USA ( Red Nation in Los Angeles , LA Skins in LA , Shining Mountain film festival in Aspen, Black Hills film festival, Edmonton film festival ( Canada) , Austin film festival « Las Americas” .
In 2025, she directed the 26 minutes documentary « Nicholas Black Elk, in the footstep of Christ » coproduced by French television ( France 2 and Ramlo production ) about the Sioux Lakota chief and traditional healer Black Elk .
Showtimes
Thursday, November 12
Screening: 10:00 pm
In Person
Post Screening Guests: —
Once Purchased
your name will be at ‘Will Call’
Once Purchased
your name will be at ‘Will Call’
AMC The Grove 14
189 The Grove Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Parking
At The Theatre
