Writing the Script for a Story That Needs to Be Told
I just finished the script for Thunder Dreamer, a feature film about Crazy Horse. For years, this story has been calling to me. Now it’s ready.
Why This Story
Hollywood has tried to tell Crazy Horse’s story, but they’ve missed the essence. They’ve focused on battles and headlines, not the man, nor his relationship with his community or his leadership. The popular narrative over the years regarding the iconic life of Crazy Horse somehow became mostly tied to the very brief time on a single day of his life where he was on the same battlefield with George Armstrong Custer. However, his life was so much more than that. Crazy Horse wasn’t just a warrior — he was a man of the people and the way he lived and the adversity he overcame still serves as a reminder of what it means to be honorable.
A Different Approach
My script, “Thunder Dreamer” follows the life of Crazy Horse and his struggle to preserve his people’s indigenous way of life and protect their homelands. It’s rooted in oral histories, Lakota traditions, and delves into the spiritual side of his life — things Hollywood usually skips or distorts.
Why It Matters
The themes are still relevant: land, sovereignty, survival, culture, and leadership under extreme pressure due to relentless attacks and betrayals by a government that was dead set on eradicating Tribal nations in order to advance westward expansion and the illegal seizure of the Paha Sapa, the Black Hills. Crazy Horse’s choices mirror the ones Indigenous communities still face today. And for the first time in cinema history, his epic life story will be reclaimed from the unique perspective of an Indigenous filmmaker.
Next Steps
The script is complete. The next phase is finding the right partners — investors and distributors who understand this isn’t just a period drama but an Indigenous epic that directly correlates to the struggles of a nation that today is still in desperate need of learning from the mistakes of its past in order to avoid continuously repeating them.
I believe the world is ready. More importantly, our youth need to see Crazy Horse presented truthfully — undefeated and unapologetic.
Stay tuned at Indigiproductions.com for updates.
With resolve and determination,
Litefoot