Directed by Kim Bartly
Reviewed by Daniel Velasco, Gold Mine Processing Associate
Filmed over three years, Pure Grit explores the life of Sharmaine Weed, a ten-time Native American bareback horse racing champion living with her girlfriend, mother, two brothers, and paralyzed sister.
Filming took place in the Wind River reservation and in Denver, Colorado, where she and her girlfriend moved to start a life together. She never refused to let go of her dream of owning her own horse by taking jobs to raise money to buy one. She continued to become a champion in the dangerous sport that injured her brother and paralyzed her sister.
…no matter how hard life gets, you must get back on that horse and face the challenges that life gives you.
The documentary shows the difficulties of relationships, and the grief of losing a relationship and family members.
It also shows the real-life struggles of growing up within an unhealthy environment where there’s substance and physical abuse. That you sometimes must sacrifice the little good you have to start fresh and make your life better. What this film showed was that no matter how hard life gets, you must get back on that horse and face the challenges that life gives you.
This film hits a little too close to home being a part of the LGBTQ+ community in a small town as Sharmaine is in her hometown. I have great respect for her for going through all the struggles that she has been through all her entire life.
