"Spirit Riders" Documentary on Today's Lakota Featured on HBO.com in Conjunction With "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee"

"Spirit Riders" Documentary on Today's Lakota Featured on HBO.com in Conjunction With "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee"

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., May 23 /PRNewswire/ -- In conjunction with its release of HBO Films' "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" on May 27, HBO.com is featuring the award-winning documentary "Spirit Riders, Riding to Mend the Sacred Hoop" about the birth of the American Indian peace movement by director James Kleinert. Filmed over a 10-year period following the 100-year anniversary of the massacre at Wounded Knee, "Spirit Riders" is the story of today's Lakota and how they have returned to their roots and their horses via their peace and unity horseback rides. The rides have become a source of inspiration for the Lakota people, especially the youth. A segment of the film can be accessed at www.hbo.com/films/burymyheart/resources/ .

Many respected members of the Lakota community are featured in "Spirit Riders," including descendents of Black Elk and Sitting Bull, as well as actor Viggo Mortensen, who participated one of the rides to Wounded Knee.

As "Spirit Riders" reveals, in 1986 one of the Lakota spiritual leaders was visited by a dream where he was surrounded by many people riding and walking together to release their grief at long last from the events at Wounded Knee and the prior killing of Sitting Bull.

"To get a Lakota on horseback to go on a spiritual journey was just unheard of," said Alex White Plume, a Lakota leader. But tribal elders did. "We put the Lakota back on a horse, and he became Lakota again."

Extreme weather conditions during that first ride, the Mending of the Sacred Hoop Ride in 1990, were much the same as 100 years prior when the Lakota ran from the 7th Cavalry to join Big Foot, the peacemaker, who was soon massacred with hundreds of Indian men, women and children in freezing cold at Wounded Knee Creek on Dec. 29, 1890.

Since the 1990 ride, many rides to sacred sites have taken place, becoming a source of empowerment and inspiration for the Lakota people and offering a return to Lakota roots, ceremonies and culture for the tribal youth. The Lakota peace and unity horseback rides continue today.

About James Kleinert: Director James Kleinert's film "Spirit Riders" has won several awards at film festivals. He is currently at work on "The American Wild Horse," a documentary about the current plight of America's last icons. His film, "Wild Horse Spirit," with actor Viggo Mortensen, will be showcased at the Telluride Mountain Film Festival on May 26. Portions are featured in the Emmy award-winning PBS program "Natural Heroes." Kleinert also serves as Executive Director of the Spirit Riders Foundation, www.spiritridersfoundation.org , that supports programs for Lakota youth. He lives in Malibu and Taos.

Source: Moving Cloud Productions

CONTACT: Nancy Wilhelms of WestGroup Marketing, +1-949-293-2248,
nancyw@teamwestgroup.com, for Moving Cloud Productions; or James Kleinert of
Moving Cloud Productions, +1-310-367-3942, jameskleinert@mac.com

NOTE TO EDITORS: For photos and more information please contact nancyw@teamwestgroup.com, or visit www.spiritridersmovie.com and www.hbo.com/films/burymyheart/resources

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