A new Twin Cities Public Television documentary by Minnesota PBS filmmaker Leya Hale will be screened Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. in Sundin Music Hall.
“Medicine Ball,” follows two Native college athletes, Lexus Redthunder and Leroy Staples Fairbanks IV, as they navigate college life and basketball at the University of Minnesota Morris, located on the site of a former Native boarding school.
Their journey reveals how basketball has become a symbol of resilience, hope and cultural pride in Native communities.
Hale, a Native filmmaker, said she’s committed to reclaiming stories that have been hidden or silenced.
“Medicine Ball is not just about basketball, but about legacy, survival and the ways our people continue to adapt and thrive,” Hale said.
Hale, a Dakota and Dine documentarian and multiple Emmy Award-winning producer, will introduce the film and answer questions.
“My hope is that audiences walk away with a deeper understanding of the boarding school era’s enduring impact, but also the hope, ceremony, and empowerment embodied in the game of basketball for Native communities today,” she said.
The screening is free and open to the public.