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Home , Allison Anders, Benjamin Bratt, Frida (soundtrack), Jesse Borrego, Johnny Suede, Steve Reevis

FOLLOW ME HOME

Logline In a powerful celebration of art, history, music and brotherhood, four artists of color and a woman with a haunting secret embark on a cross-country pilgrimage through a desert landscape steeped in magic, mystery and danger.

Short Synopsis Four street artists hatch a plan to cover the White House with vibrantly painted murals in Follow Me Home, a rebellious fable infused with the traditions of Native, African and Latino culture. Joined by a woman with a haunting secret, they set off on an impetuous joyride across a desert landscape steeped in magic, mystery and danger. A powerful celebration of art, history, music and community, Follow Me Home challenges long-held beliefs about race and identity in America, adding an important voice to today’s racial reckoning.

Long Synopsis A cross-country joyride becomes a transformative spiritual journey for five lost souls in Follow Me Home, a bold and original reevaluation of race and class in America from writer and director Peter Bratt (La Mission). Chicano cousins Tudee () and Abel (), and their fellow street artists, Native American Freddy (Steve Reevis) and African American Kaz (Calvin Levels), load their van with paint and supplies, then set out for Washington, D.C. Their mission: to tell their story by covering the White House with vivid images of their American history. Along the way they are joined by Evey (Oscar® nominee Alfre Woodard), a quiet woman carrying a tragic burden. Each of the travelers harbors a secret longing that will reveal itself in the vast Southwestern desert, threatening to end their quest almost before it starts. Forced to face hostile locals and their own worst fears, a spiritual connection allows voices from the past to bleed into the now as they battle a familiar adversary. Challenging long-held beliefs about race, gender, and identity in America, Follow Me Home is a powerful celebration of art, history, music and community that resonates even more deeply in the context of today’s racial reckoning. Originally debuted at the 1996 , where it was one of only 18 films selected to screen in competition, Follow Me Home will be available for streaming without charge at www.followmehomethemovie.com from October 22nd through November 4th with a series of curated talkbacks to follow. Follow Me Home is written and directed by Peter Bratt (La Mission, Dolores). The film stars Alfre Woodard (Clemency, Captain America: Civil War), Benjamin Bratt (La Mission, Dr. Strange), Jesse Borrego (Phoenix, Oregon; Blood In, Blood Out), Steve Reevis (Fargo, ), Calvin Levels (Ragtime, “The Atlanta Child Murders”) and (, Desperado). It is produced by Peter Bratt, Benjamin Bratt, Alan Renshaw (The Spirit of ’76) and Irene Romero. The director of photography is Garett Griffin (This Old Cub, “Christmas Icetastrophe”). Production designer is Katterina Keith (Missing in America, Control). Costume design is by Taryn Walsh (Little Women, “SMILF”). The film is edited by Robert Grahamjones (What Dreams May Come, The Unbearable Lightness of Being). Music is by Roy Finch (Wake, Bram Stoker’s Dracula), Cyril Neville (The Neville Brothers) and Speech (Arrested Development). Executive producers are Bonnie Duran, Eduardo Duran (The Red Valentine), Jennifer Newell-Easton (The Doe Boy) and Gary Rhine (Your Humble Serpent, Wiping the Tears of Seven Generations). Co-executive producer and sound designer is Bob Edwards (Fruitvale Station, Beasts of the Southern Wild).

CRITICAL PRAISE FOR FOLLOW ME HOME

“Follow Me Home is a work of genius. It is a work that explores issues of societal and planetary survival: the meaning of integrity, the courage required by love and the necessity of respect.” — Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize and American Book Award-winning author

“Follow Me Home is a wonderful gift… It is a breathtaking journey to the present, the past, and toward the future… To whatever extent ‘American’ fits into or collides with your identity, you must see this film.” — Angela Davis, teacher, activist, author

“Follow Me Home is one of the most important films of the ’90s. At once magical realist ethnic road movie and postcolonial theoretical Western, it is also a ferociously funny comedy and poignant allegorical commentary on American history and representation.” — Thyrza Goodeve, contributing writer, Artforum, The Village Voice

“Hilarious, raging, and always moving across boundaries as unnatural and as lethal as they are commonplace in today’s racist and homophobic America, this is an incredible movie: The first American film emerging direct from the heart and the headset of the New American Majority.” — June Jordan, award-winning African-American poet, essayist and political activist

“Follow Me Home is one of the most inspired movies I have seen in years. This movie made me laugh, weep and learn. I came into the theater curious and left exhilarated. There have been many successful films of late about the state of our youth, but no one has managed to explore the extreme common ground as the Bratt brothers do in this film.” — Tom Hayden, Former California State Senator

“There will be few films as daring as Follow Me Home hitting movie theaters this year ... Bratt has directed a profoundly serious and lyrical film… call it hip-hop magical realism.” — Gary Dauphin, Vibe magazine

“This is a film for reflection, discussion and revelation. Do not miss it.” — Dr. Claudia Highbaugh, Chaplain, Harvard Divinity School ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

In January 1996, Follow Me Home made its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, one of only 18 out of more than 500 submissions that were selected for the US Dramatic Competition. The film, a modern-day fable about four muralists who set off on a cross-country trip, won the Audience Awards at the International Festival and Seattle International Film Festival, and went on to receive special recognition for excellence in filmmaking from the National Board of Review. The feature debut from then-aspiring writer, director and producer Peter Bratt, Follow Me Home was met with popular and critical acclaim at its sold-out Sundance screenings. Additional showings were needed to accommodate audience demand. With little experience, less money, few contacts and a limited time to shoot, Bratt had arrived at the apex of American . But when the festival was over, the film still had not found a buyer. “I think it polarized audiences,” says Peter. “People either absolutely flipped for the movie or they absolutely hated it.” Moved by the film’s Afro-Indigenous themes, Henri Norris — an African-American woman and attorney — approached Peter, proposing they self-distribute the film. And together, they did just that, hand carrying the film to cities across the country in search of an audience for this entertaining, soulful story that also challenged America’s entrenched racism, sexism and dysfunctional behavior. “In every city we opened we would hold Q&A sessions after the screenings and hand out flyers, trying to spread the word. And we found that it resonated with people of color on a very deep level.”

Despite the positive reception from viewers, Follow Me Home did not find a place in mainstream Hollywood and was, for the most part, shelved. Bratt has gone on to make two successful films (both of which also premiered at Sundance), the multi-award-winning 2009 drama La Mission, and the Peabody award-winning 2017 documentary feature Dolores. For the past 25 years, Follow Me Home has existed mostly as a memory, even for its creator.

The Time Is Right “Until recently I hadn’t seen the film for about 20 years,” Peter says. “Then George Floyd was murdered. We started getting phone calls, emails and texts from people saying, ‘You have to re- release Follow Me Home. It’s about what’s happening right now.’ I pulled out a VHS copy and re- watched it, seeing it in a new light because of where we are at this particular moment in time.” But re-releasing it for today’s market would require expensive adjustments to the film’s format. “We shot on 35 millimeter and it existed in that technology only,” says Peter. “We figured it would cost six figures to digitize, re-mix, re-colorize and make it available for streaming. And although a cool idea, it just wasn’t financially feasible.” And then an unexpected benefactor turned up. “A gentleman who remembered the film from long ago contacted me to say he wanted to be part of the current conversation about race in America. He believed that Follow Me Home could help facilitate that. He offered to introduce me to some friends who were also interested. That was the first step. From there, a coalition of supporters and donors was formed to make the funds available, generated by a sincere desire to use the film as a springboard into a nationwide dialogue on the issues. That was about mid-August of this year.” Those contributions enabled the filmmakers to re-format Follow Me Home. Most of the benefactors, including the one who started the ball rolling, are White, notes Peter. “Many of them confessed that until recently they hadn’t given much thought to these issues,” he says. “There are a lot of mixed feelings around this subject and some understandable discomfort. But I think we’re witnessing a shift in the national narrative and filmmakers of color are part of that shift. That’s partly why I think people started calling for the film’s re-release. It questions the ultimate American monument, the White House, and gives credence to the histories, stories and experiences of our people. People of color.”

An Offer He Couldn’t Refuse The story behind Follow Me Home begins shortly after Peter dropped out of the graduate film program at NYU and returned to his San Francisco home. The son of a Quechua Indian mother, he knew he wanted to make films that reflected his experiences growing up in San Francisco’s American Indian community. Then he was contacted by Eduardo and Bonnie Duran, educators and facilitators in the Native American healthcare field and longtime Bratt family friends. Inspired by the surprise success of ’s ultra-low-budget western El Mariachi, the Durans presented Peter with an intriguing proposition. Could he make a film set in their community addressing issues faced by contemporary Native Americans if they gave him the same amount of money Rodriguez started with — approximately $7,000? “I said, let’s do it!” Peter says. “In hindsight, if I knew then what I know now, I probably never would have moved forward. We had no script, no experience, and no connections — but we started anyway.” Peter approached his brother, Benjamin Bratt, at the time a rising young actor in Los Angeles, and invited him to be a producer. “Ben and I both love movies,” he says. “That has always been part of our lives. As we got older, we started entertaining the possibility of telling our own stories — of actually making movies ourselves.” Benjamin jumped at the chance to work with his brother on such a personal creative project. “It was the first real opportunity we had to do that,” he says. “But we’ve always been extremely close. Back when we were 7 and 8 years old, we worked together pulling weeds for the neighbors and selling seed packets we got from comic books. I am in awe of his natural leadership qualities and his ability to draw people in. He recognized very early on how important storytelling is, and how it can be used in a way that changes the perceptions of other people.”

Here Comes the Cavalry The inspiration for the story came from the Bratts’ mother Eldy, according to Peter. While the two were driving together from San Francisco to Los Angeles, the longtime Native American activist became exasperated by a radio news story. “There was an election going on,” Peter remembers. “They kept mentioning the White House and she suddenly flipped off the radio, saying, ‘The White House, the White House — why does it have to be the White House? Everything else is already white!’ I saw the strength of her emotion and it planted the seed for this story.” In making Follow Me Home, the brothers got to tell a story about representation — or more specifically, the lack of representation. Adds Benjamin, “In one way it asks a very literal question: Why is the White House white? America is comprised of so many different cultural influences that make us who we are as a nation, and yet the true representation of those different cultural and racial influences is rarely portrayed in any real or accurate way. The history of the country is enshrined in words like ‘Manifest Destiny’ and ‘God’s will.’ What my brother understood was that those words give the impression — to paraphrase the great James Baldwin — that no crimes were committed in the establishment of the country. I wanted to get on board that train and support him in any way I could.” At the heart of this film, says Peter, is a concept developed by Eduardo and Bonnie Duran that they call the “ wound.” “All of the main characters in Follow Me Home carry a soul wound,” he explains. “It’s a spiritual wound that is the result of colonization and the de-humanization of the indigenous peoples of America, as well as the Africans who were brought here as slaves. It’s the result of generations of looting, land displacement, genocidal acts of violence and rape, the breakdown of the family structure, and the erasure of ancestral memory.” As examples, the filmmaker cites historical events including the outlawing of Native languages and spiritual practices, the breaking up of families, forced relocation and assimilation, the outlawing of ceremonial practices, the maiming and killing of people of color and the monuments erected in town squares to purposely instill fear. “A lot of damage was done to our people,” he says. “It was done to individuals, families, and entire communities. To colonize and dominate me, you have to replace my memory and identity with your own. Over centuries, we have internalized the shame and the sense of inferiority.” In a clever reversal, Follow Me Home tweaks expectations by overturning one of the best known tropes in American cinema, when the Cavalry arrives in the form of a group of American Indian War reenactors. “We know that the Cavalry always saves the day, often from ‘bad’ people of color,” he says. “We flipped that on its head — literally flipped the script— which upset a lot of people, particularly certain White critics. But that was the point. And the film has fun with subverting those cinematic norms.” The Bratt brothers set to work completing the script, finding a cast, and perhaps most importantly, building financial and community support. An early reading of the script by some of Benjamin’s acting colleagues brought in what Peter estimates to be 75 percent of the cast, including Calvin Levels, Steve Reevis, Tom Bower, Kieran Mulroney, Tom Towles and Jesse Borrego, who plays Tudee, the inspirational leader of the artists. “We told anyone we approached, whether it was for acting or pulling cable, that this was going to be an adventure,” Benjamin says. “It was our first time doing something like this and we didn’t know what the end result was going to look like, but we were sure it was going to be an adventure. There’s a tendency to focus on the handful of producers, the director, the actors, but I can’t reinforce enough that the film could not have been made without the hundreds of people who gave their time, their energy, their creativity, their money, or their prayers. It’s a film that belongs to all of us.” In addition to producing Follow Me Home, Benjamin also stars as Abel, a Chicano bad boy who paints alongside his cousin Tudee. “As an actor, I’m always interested in a challenge,” says Benjamin. “I could see that in Abel even on the page. He abuses alcohol and drugs, uses vulgar language to intimidate and puts on a street swagger to cope with his insecurities. He also yearns for a sense of belonging within his cohort of fellow artists, but he doesn’t know how to be comfortable in that space. So he hides behind a rough, brazen exterior. It’s a killer part, that rare gem that has the potential to become iconic, a fiercely memorable anti-hero who is deeply flawed on the surface, yet is capable of revealing a real humanity once you peel back the layers.” To Peter, Benjamin was the absolute opposite of the way he saw Abel, whom he describes as “a scruffy pit bull who is threatening and offensive.” “Ben had always been cast as a good guy, a natural leading man,” says Peter. “From a dramatic standpoint, perfect characters are usually the least interesting, so he was eager to play Abel. I had my reservations and expressed those to our mom. She said, ‘You’ve never made a film before but your brother is getting behind you 100 percent. He believes in you and you need to believe in him.’ I realized she was absolutely right.” Benjamin went all out transforming himself into the volatile street punk. “I knew I had to deliver at that point,” says the actor. “I wanted to completely change the way I looked, so I shaved my head, covered myself with tattoos and had a set of prosthetic teeth made. I knew exactly who Abel was when I looked in the mirror.” If Peter still harbored any doubts, his brother’s extreme makeover eliminated them for good. “I’ll never forget the day he came in with those teeth,” he recalls. “It was like a magic wand had transformed him into the character. I think it’s one of his best performances ever.” Each main character in the film, according to Benjamin, is suffering from his or her own unique soul wound. “Abel has a whole host of issues he is barely aware of, including deep-seated misogyny, his own internalized oppression and the fact that he doesn’t feel worthy in the company of his own brother artists, much less within White culture. Tudee, who is the de facto leader of the group, is grappling with his identity in terms of what it means to be successful in the White world, to the point where he contemplates selling out his brothers for personal gain.” Borrego had previously worked with Benjamin on Taylor Hackford’s epic crime drama, Blood In, Blood Out, the story of three Chicano cousins in Los Angeles. Peter remembers watching the combustible chemistry they had on the screen together. “I’ve known Jesse and loved his work for years,” he says. “We had always talked about collaborating somehow. Jesse has a vibrant leadership quality. He’s the rabble rouser, the Pied Piper who gets people fired up to go to battle. Because I knew that about him, I was able to tailor the role of Tudee for him. In the film, Tudee and Abel are cousins with a complicated familial relationship, as well as being polar opposites.” Outwardly confident, ambitious and college-educated, Tudee is actually filled with self- doubt. “Jesse and I had become brothers during Blood In, Blood Out,” says Benjamin. “I recognized him not only as a very fine actor but as an authentic and true artist. We have done three films together now. He’s capable of making magic. With some actors, there’s a kind of alchemy, and when he and I work together that’s very present.” The verdict in the 1992 Rodney King trial and the ensuing riots in Los Angeles made Blood In, Blood Out even more controversial than expected, Borrego remembers. The release of the film was first delayed and then truncated. “But Peter had seen the chemistry Ben and I had in that film and all of that energy and passion we had for telling a story that broke color boundaries,” he says. “He sent me a script about four artists of color going to paint a mural on the White House. I said, you guys are crazy, but I’m in.” Borrego could see that the story went far beyond a conventional “caper” movie. “I accepted the role because it was an opportunity to play a character who wasn’t a stereotypical Latino,” he explains. “He’s not a drug addict, he’s not a gang member, but he’s got his own psychic wounds, which in his case tempt him to betray his family and friends. “Peter was way ahead of the curve in dealing with identity issues that are rooted in a racial perspective in America,” he continues. “He wanted to explore some important themes, including the complicated process of the pressure of the colonized mind. His unbridled passion as a filmmaker and storyteller made him want to break boundaries and I think that’s what resonated with the Sundance crowd.” Playing Tudee was easy for him, he says, especially since what Peter had written was in many ways like him. “All I had to do was be myself. Ben’s character is the most complicated. To me, he is truly one of the great actors of our time and so underappreciated. His brilliance is apparent in this film.” On his trip through the desert, Tudee is haunted by a strange, sinister figure, a character that Peter dubbed “The White Man.” Representing the colonial mindset, he visits Tudee in his dreams. “To me the White Man represents the oppressive culture that we’ve all grown up in,” says Borrego. “He represents the fact that the oppressors also acculturated us to a perspective that says you don’t matter, only the dominant culture does. It’s the opposite of White privilege, a kind of immigrant self-hatred.” The actor, whose resume also includes films by directors , Allison Anders and Terrence Malick, says making Follow Me Home was one of his favorite experiences working in independent film. “I don’t think the film industry was ready for this film,” he says. “It did well critically and has been screened in classes about race relations at some top universities. I think right now there is an audience eager to see films with alternative narratives, narratives of color. All kinds of stuff went down to get it made, but I loved the journey to the point where I would do it again.”

The Mystery Woman On their way through the desert the four men are joined on their journey by Evey, stranded after her car is wrecked. Soft-spoken but steely, Evey was written with Oscar-nominated actress Alfre Woodard in mind, says Peter, but he assumed he would have to settle for an “Alfre Woodard- type” for the film. Then he realized he had nothing to lose by approaching Woodard herself. “Alfre is the archetype of a strong, beautiful woman,” he says. “In all the roles we’ve seen her in, she carries such power. We got the script to her and I was shocked when she called me at home asking for production dates. I had to say, ‘Full disclosure, I only have 14,000 bucks.’ She said that wasn’t even a concern. She just wanted to be a part of this.” Woodard says Peter’s lyrical script put into words and images a longing for racial justice she may not have been able to articulate herself. “I saw the movie again after 25 years and felt like I was seeing it for the first time. The timelessness of it reminded me that truth-telling has no shelf life. A statement that we all — cast, crew, producers — made all those years ago is just as pertinent today. Some progress has been made, but for the most part we’ve put bandages over the wound instead of cleaning it out and letting it heal.” Woodard’s portrayal of Evey is warm, poignant and wise. During a particularly awkward encounter with Abel in the van, Evey rejects his advances, which sends him into a rage. “She stops him not with force, but with compassion and love, reminding him that she is a woman just like his mother, his tia, his daughter,” says Benjamin. “She explains this simple fact as if to a child, and it immediately disarms him.” “That’s what I call womaning,” says Woodard. “It’s a straight-up recognition of self that is passed on from grandmother to mother to daughter.” Evey is essential to the story, according to Peter, to acknowledge negative attitudes toward women and particularly women of color. “The film explores the intersections of race and class,” he says. “It was important to include gender as well. We didn’t want it to just be four men talking about being marginalized as people of color and not have a woman to represent that as well. Evey has the powerful, righteous female voice we needed.” Woodard, who has been nominated for 17 Emmys and won three as well as a Golden Globe for the title role in “Miss Evers’ Boys,” says the memory of making Follow Me Home holds a treasured place in her heart. “The experience is the most connected I have ever felt between my art, my spirituality and my social consciousness. Some people might call it a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but for me it means that joy and connection are always possible. I look forward to experiencing it again.” After watching this movie, she expects audiences will jump to their feet and dance. “That’s what I did,” she says. “It is a celebration. The characters are real people and everybody is going to recognize some parts of themselves in them. It allows us to feel a kind of redemption, a gratitude and a humble faithfulness.”

Fellow Travelers Also on the journey east are Kaz, who is trying to maintain a non-violent stance in a hostile world, and Freddy, who after a struggle with addiction and incarceration hopes to regain his self- respect and dignity. Peter drew on friends and community members for inspiration for the two. Steve Reevis, who plays Freddy, had previously appeared in several acclaimed films including Oscar winner Dances With Wolves and The Doors. “He had just come off a couple of big movies and along with Alfre and Jesse, he elevated the project,” says Benjamin. “He came with a bit of stoicism in his demeanor, which belied an inherent sense of playfulness he carried. Although not a big talker, Steve had this mischievous twinkle in his eyes, a knowing look that let you know he was game, even while he remained somewhat reserved.” According to Peter, the character was inspired by a rapper friend from Oakland, who provided one of Freddy’s signature eccentricities. “I knew a lot of guys who were aspiring rappers and connoisseurs of the music,” explains the director. “I wanted that character to reflect the reality of Natives living in urban centers. Like Freddy, my fastidious friend had all these cassettes that he alphabetized and arranged by genre. He wouldn’t let you touch them.” Benjamin first met Calvin Levels, who plays Kaz, when the two worked on the television series “Knightwatch” in the 1980s. Benjamin says that much like the character he plays, Levels’ mind is very open to the world, including Eastern mysticism, yoga, and philosophy. Peter also based the character partly on Philmore Steele, a musician and friend who appears in the film as the ubiquitous spirit drummer. “Philmore and I did martial arts together and he taught me how to meditate,” says Peter. “Calvin embodied that Zen feeling and attitude. While he was waiting to be interviewed for the film, he was outside in the garden doing Tai Chi. The character doesn’t have a lot of words but you always feel his presence.” Sharp-eyed audience members will be able to spot Oscar nominee Salma Hayek in a small but pivotal role in the film. Just beginning her American film career at the time, she plays Tudee’s upwardly mobile ex-girlfriend, Veronica. “Jesse had worked with her on a film called ,” says Peter. “She had just recently come from Mexico and he suggested her based on his experience from the last project. I didn’t really know who she was at the time but she was clearly a powerhouse. She even gave me some suggestions on how to direct! She came in for a day, we shot her scene and she was just incredibly gracious and beautiful. She exuded confidence and was all about the work, you could tell she was going places.”

Dreamtime in the Desert Filmed primarily on the Morongo Indian Reservation near Banning, California, Follow Me Home was shot over a period of two and a half weeks. “We had a couple of days in San Francisco, a half day in Los Angeles and then the majority on the reservation,” recalls Peter. “We often shot 12 to 15 hours in over 100-degree temperatures. Afterward, I would work the phone lines and try to raise money to complete the film. The reality was that if we didn’t come up with the budget, we’d have to strike the set and send everybody home, so it was a huge gamble. It was crazy, but it was a lot of fun.” Benjamin remembers the time spent in the desert as a period of intense work and intense bonding. “We shot most of the exteriors there,” he says. “Everyone got into the spirit of it, including Alfre, who up to that point we had not known. We all danced in the motel parking lot when we had a night off. It was a free-spirited summer camp vibe.” The California desert gives the film a sense of timelessness that fits with Peter’s idea that, as these characters travel through the natural landscape, they are also traveling through time. “The story is an allegory, a simple metaphor to suggest something bigger,” he says. “It also had to be something we could do in the desert with no permits and that wouldn’t break the bank.” The film’s score and soundtrack were designed to create a feeling of past and present simultaneously, says the director. “I grew up with hip hop and that’s the music of these characters. But there’s also the idea of ancestral memories of indigenous and African music. As the characters cross the landscape, the music slowly transforms and becomes more Afro-indigenous. To me, the music feels just as contemporary now as when we made it because so much of it is based on the music that we use in our ceremonies and cultural gatherings. It helps make the movie feel like a spiritual odyssey.” Peter is careful to say that Follow Me Home exists not in the literary tradition of magical realism but rather is intended to transport audiences into the indigenous world. “In that world reality and experience involve many different elements. They can be spiritual or profane, but there is not the same kind of separation. I wanted to have the characters move through this place that is magical. It’s modern, it’s traditional, it’s reflective of our authentic lived experience.” The score draws inspiration from various Native, African and Latin musical and spiritual traditions, paying special attention to drums in both hip hop and traditional rhythms. “Peter wanted to make a film that was immersed in music and he had wonderful ideas about how to do it,” says composer Roy Finch. “We blended Native American traditional songs with Afro-Cuban and global sounds to create an extremely eclectic mix. There were a number of artists, including Native American musician Richard Moves Camp and blues singer Pura Fé, that he already knew he wanted to use.” According to Finch, the central musical theme of Follow Me Home is founded on the Indian creation story that says one morning the Creator closed his eyes and started drumming. He drummed throughout the day and night. At sunrise the following morning, he opened his eyes and realized he had drummed everything into existence. “So that was a core tenet of what we were doing,” Finch says. “We brought together a lot of different traditions from all over the world and blended them together in one seamless sound. There were a couple of pieces that started with spoken word, sometimes a prayer, and then I would create music underneath. We worked in a number of different ways with frame drums, like West African djembes and Cuban conga, which are among the oldest musical instruments in the world. There are also lots of shakers and rattles, which you find in Native American, African and South American culture.” And underneath it all is Finch’s synthesizer, his instrument of choice. “In a lot of the pieces we used drumming that had previously been recorded and layered instruments on top of that underpinning. It’s very percussion-oriented, based on that idea of drumming the world into existence. There are a lot of powerful rhythmic elements to the music but there also is contrast to that in the Dreamtime episodes, where it becomes very ethereal, very eternal and spiritual.” The ancestral presence in the film becomes even more pronounced with the addition of voices from the indigenous community. “When we shot in San Francisco we invited them to join us to represent the ancestors who have been killed over the centuries,” Peter explains. “It was a very emotional and powerful experience for all of us. Not only did we film those beautiful faces, we asked community members to say prayers in traditional languages. These voices speak in whispers woven throughout the film. One of the elders offered a prayer in Quechua. It felt so powerful to be able to include the language I’m connected to on my mother’s side.” Recording took upwards of a year, Finch says, including time spent working with Cyril Neville of the New Orleans-based Neville Brothers in Louisiana, and rapper Speech of Arrested Development. “It’s a long time to score a film, but it was absolutely a labor of love,” he says. “I believed in Peter’s vision 100 percent. I did everything I could to support him as a director, a producer and a leader. He was incredible in his generosity and in the way he brought people together. It’s a very special, very powerful trait that he has.”

Shaking Up American History Fierce, heartfelt and prescient, Follow Me Home explores historical truths and otherworldly mysteries that will provoke audiences to think about enduring issues in a new way. While getting the movie made came with an array of challenges, Peter says he wouldn’t change anything about the experience. “The film has the raw creative energy that comes from a young, naive filmmaker,” he says. “When you don’t have any experience you don’t know to be afraid. When you don’t have any money, you’re forced to be creative. You’re already outside the box.” Watching the film now, he is reminded of how many storytellers today are pushing the boundaries simply by telling tales that reflect their authentic experiences. “I think we’re witnessing a shift in the national narrative and filmmakers of color are part of that shift,” he observes. “There are more Black filmmakers, Native filmmakers, Chicano filmmakers, queer filmmakers, filmmakers who didn’t come from or even grow up in the . The more stories we see like that, the more we realize that the accepted narrative of this country’s origin stories is flimsy. We see that conflict unfolding all around us.” The film seems to have become even more relevant today than it was when it premiered at Sundance 25 years ago, says Benjamin. “We are still grappling with the same issues and social ills. Representation should belong to everyone but that still isn’t the reality. There is a simplicity to the story, and a purity to the acting and the writing that gives the movie a timeless quality, and which hopefully acts as a springboard into important conversation.” According to Peter, Follow Me Home is meant to recreate a traditional healing ceremony in many ways. “The first step is an acknowledgement of the problems,” he says. “Going forward that could provoke the conversation Ben mentions in a way that creates hope for the future.”

ABOUT THE CAST

JESSE BORREGO (Tudee) can currently be seen in the hit indie film Phoenix, Oregon. Borrego was recently recurring on the critically acclaimed Starz series “Vida” and he also appeared on AMC’s “Fear the Walking Dead.” The actor’s other TV credits include TNT’s “Good Behavior” and ABC’s “American Crime.” He co-starred with Zoe Saldana in the feature Colombiana and was seen in John Sayles’ Go for Sisters. Borrego co-starred with Benjamin Bratt for the third time in the 2010 feature film La Mission. Raised in by a professional musician father and dancer mother, Borrego would enter dance competitions with his sister from a young age. In college he was a member of an experimental theater company and, one year after transferring to the California Institute of the Arts, he landed a recurring role on the hit television series “Fame.” Borrego went on to co-star in features such as Blood In, Blood Out, directed by Taylor Hackford, as well as John Sayles’ Lone Star, ’s I Like It Like That, Allison Anders’ Mi Vida Loca and Terrence Malick’s The New World. He also played the title role in TNT’s “Tecumseh: The Last Warrior” and was seen in the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced Con Air and the anthology film New York Stories. In 2010 Borrego formed Cine Studio San Antonio to educate and inform future filmmakers. Along with his brother, film professor James Borrego, he connects young media programs with students and resources for the cultural content creators of the 21st century.

BENJAMIN BRATT (Abel, Producer) is a veteran of over 25 films. He won a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the Outstanding Ensemble Cast in Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic. Most recently he played conflicted sorcerer Jonathan Pangborn in Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange and had starring roles in Brad Furman’s The Infiltrator, opposite Bryan Cranston; Ric Roman Waugh’s Shot Caller, opposite Nikolaj Coster-Waldau; Waugh’s Snitch, opposite Dwayne Johnson; Ricky Gervais’ Special Correspondents, opposite Gervais and Eric Bana; Tim Story’s Ride Along 2, opposite Ice Cube and Kevin Hart; and Shawn Ku’s A Score to Settle, opposite . Bratt’s other film credits include Curtis Hanson’s The River Wild, Phillip Noyce’s Clear and Present Danger, Donald Petrie’s Miss Congeniality, Mike Mills’ Thumbsucker, Nicole Kassell’s The Woodsman, Mike Newell’s Love in the Time of Cholera, Anita Doron’s The Lesser Blessed, Taylor Hackford’s Blood In, Blood Out and Leon Ichaso’s Piñero. Television audiences may know Bratt best for his Emmy-nominated role as Detective Rey Curtis in the original “Law & Order” series. His other starring roles on the small screen include the limited revival “24: Live Another Day,” opposite Kiefer Sutherland, and “The Cleaner,” for which he won an Alma Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series. The actor had two-season stints on Lee Daniels’ “Star” and Shonda Rhimes’ “Private Practice.” Bratt also had a recurring role on “Modern Family” as Sofia Vergara’s ne’er-do-well ex-husband, Javier. In the realm of animation, Bratt voiced the memorable role of famous Mexican crooner Ernesto de la Cruz in the Oscar-winning Disney/Pixar hit Coco, as well as the villainous El Macho in smash hit 2. In 2010, Bratt won Cinequest’s Maverick Spirit Award for his work as producer and star of the acclaimed independent film La Mission. Written and directed by his brother Peter Bratt, the locally produced San Francisco-set film garnered much critical praise, received a nomination for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture from the NAACP, a GLAAD Award nomination and multiple Imagen Award bids, including wins for Best Feature Film and Best Actor. Bratt served as consulting producer for his brother’s Peabody Award-winning documentary Dolores, which centers on the work of labor and civil rights leader Dolores Huerta.

ALFRE WOODARD (Evey) has won four ® (on 17 nominations), three SAG Awards (seven nominations), a Golden Globe Award® (three nominations), nine NAACP Awards (21 nominations) and an Independent Spirit Award (two nominations). Her performance in Martin Ritt’s Cross Creek netted Woodard an Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Woodard stars in the feature film Clemency, released in theaters December 2019. In addition to the critical praise received for this performance, she was honored with an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead. Woodard’s other recent credits include the blockbusters Captain America: Civil War and Annabelle. On the small screen she most recently starred as the fierce Mariah Dillard on Marvel’s “Luke Cage” for . She also recently played the title character in the feature Juanita, which she also developed and produced. Woodard currently stars opposite Jason Momoa in the Apple TV+ series “See,” created by Steven Knight. She will next appear in the forthcoming feature Fatherhood, alongside Kevin Hart. Woodard’s many film credits include Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, John Sayles’ Passion Fish, Maya Angelou’s Down in the Delta, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Love & Basketball, Spike Lee’s Crooklyn, Lawrence Kasdan’s Grand Canyon and Mumford, Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys, Bille Woodruff’s Beauty Shop and Richard Donner’s Scrooged. Her telefilm work includes “Mandela” and “Miss Evers’ Boys,” both for HBO. In addition to her acting career, Woodard garnered a Grammy Award® nomination (Best Children’s Spoken Word Album) for “Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales,” which she directed and produced. It featured a collaboration of talent both broad and diverse, including voice work by Matt Damon, , Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman and Samuel L. Jackson. Woodard is a longtime activist who has been involved in countless nonprofit organizations including Artists for a New South Africa, a nonprofit she co-founded that is working to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and further the cause of democracy and human rights in South Africa. In 2009 President Barack Obama appointed Woodard to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. As part of her work on the committee, Woodard adopted several high-poverty and underperforming public schools around the country, including ReNew Cultural Arts Academy in New Orleans and Noel Community Arts School in Denver. She is an active advocate for the arts in education, largely through her work on the committee’s Turnaround Arts initiative, which was launched in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education and the White House Domestic Policy Council to narrow the achievement gap and increase student engagement through the arts.

CALVIN LEVELS (Kaz) is an award-winning actor/playwright who was mentored by the renowned acting teacher Lee Strasberg. His feature credits as an actor include Ragtime, directed by Milos Forman; Convicts, starring Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones; Johnny Suede, co-starring ; and Adventures in Babysitting, directed by Chris Columbus and co-starring Elisabeth Shue. On the small screen he’s best known for CBS’ five-hour miniseries “The Atlanta Child Murders,” in which he portrayed the central character alongside Morgan Freeman, Jason Robards, Martin Sheen, Ruby Dee, Rip Torn and a long list of notables. His other television credits include several regular roles on network series, starring roles in telefilms and guest spots on a number of shows. Levels’ playwriting credits include the recently completed book and lyrics for “Warhol & Basquiat,” a new rock and hip hop musical adapted from his play “Collaboration: Warhol & Basquiat.” Levels’ previous plays include “James Baldwin: Down From the Mountaintop,” which was performed at more than 60 venues around the country, and “Common Ground,” which ran at Lincoln Center’s Mitzi Newhouse Theater. Also an acclaimed stage actor, Levels won the Theatre World Award and was nominated for Tony®, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards for “Open Admissions” at the Long Wharf Theatre and later on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre. Among his many other theater credits Levels was directed by veteran Broadway director Lonny Price in “Collaboration: Warhol & Basquiat,” at HERE’s Mainstage Theatre in , and appeared in David Mamet’s “The Shawl” at Lincoln Center Theater. Levels is a lifetime member of both the Actors Studio and the Ensemble Studio Theatre.

STEVE REEVIS (Freddy) memorably played Shep Proudfoot in the Coen brothers’ 1996 Oscar winner Fargo and was Baby Face Bob in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard, starring Adam Sandler. More recently Reevis played Two Stone in Ron Howard’s The Missing and was seen in several high-profile television projects including the miniseries “Into the West” and “Comanche Moon.” He also guest-starred on series such as “Bones,” “LAX,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” “Walker, Ranger,” “JAG” and “Goode Behavior.” In 1996 Reevis received an award from First Americans in the Arts (FAITA) for his supporting roles in Fargo and the telefilm “Crazy Horse.” In 2004 he received this honor again, this time for his work on the ABC series “Line of Fire.” The fourth of six siblings, Reevis was born and raised on the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning, . After earning a degree in the arts at Haskell Indian Junior College in Lawrence, Kansas, he said farewell to the reservation in Montana and set off to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles. For months Reevis lived on the beach in his car, a 1971 Ford Torino, while he struggled to find steady income. Eventually acting became more than a dream and he enjoyed a long and memorable career until his death in 2017.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

PETER BRATT (Director, Writer, Producer) is a Rockefeller Fellow, a Peabody Award winner, an Emmy-nominated film producer, writer and director, and a social justice activist. He wrote, produced and directed Dolores, a feature documentary about civil rights icon Dolores Huerta that was executive produced by legendary musician Carlos Santana. Dolores debuted at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and has won numerous awards, including a 2019 Peabody Award and a Critics’ Choice Award. Up next for Bratt is The Black Rooster, a feature he wrote and is slated to direct and produce under his 5 Stick Films banner, alongside his brother Benjamin Bratt and Alpita Patel. In 2009 Bratt and his brother Benjamin produced La Mission, a feature he also wrote and directed. La Mission premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, received the prestigious Norman Lear Writer’s Award, and was one of the American independent films selected by Sundance and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities to launch Sundance Film Forward, a program that uses film and conversation to introduce a new generation to the exciting power of story. Raised by a strong, indigenous single mother from , Bratt and his family were part of the American Indian Occupation of , the Wounded Knee stand-off and the Farm Workers Movement. As a consultant, organizer and community member, he has worked with the International Indian Treaty Council, Amazon Watch, Friendship House Association of American Indians, H.O.M.I.E.S. and Instituto Familiar De La Raza.

ALAN RENSHAW (Producer) learned filmmaking on the job at ’s Commercial Pictures in San Francisco, the low-budget affiliate of Zoetrope Studios that Coppola conceived as a “hands-on” film school. For Commercial Pictures Renshaw served as assistant to the producer on Indigo and was assistant producer on 1990’s The Spirit of ’76, a time-travel comedy starring David Cassidy, Olivia d’Abo and Devo.

ALPITA PATEL (Executive Producer) is a former talent agent who is now a manager/producer. She recently produced the documentary Dolores, which won a 2019 Peabody Award and was also nominated for an Emmy. In 2015 she co-produced Miss India America, starring Tiya Sircar and Hannah Simone. Her other film credits include La Mission, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and was one of the 25 highest-grossing independent films of 2010, according to IndieWire. The film garnered Patel an Imagen Award and nominations for both a NAACP Image Award and a GLAAD Award. Patel got her start in the ICM mailroom and was a motion picture talent agent at the William Morris Agency. During Patel’s tenure as an agent she worked with actors such as Alfre Woodard, Radha Mitchell, Josh Brolin, Anne Hathaway, Alessandro Nivola, Patrick Stewart, Liev Schreiber and Benjamin Bratt.

ADAM ZBAR (Executive Producer) is a Webby Award-winning serial entrepreneur, filmmaker and writer. He has written, directed and produced multiple films including the recent feature film Mermaids & Manatees, which played at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival. His next feature film, The Divine Toad, will be released next year. Zbar is the author of the book Shine. As an entrepreneur, Zbar most recently founded and grew Sun Basket, a San Francisco- based organic meal kit delivery company, to $300 million in annualized revenue and achieved profitability in four years. Currently Zbar is the CEO of Hamsa Pay, a mission-driven global fintech company backed by top-tier investors. As a CEO Zbar has raised over $200 million in venture capital, sold a previous company to the founders of YouTube and built deep domain expertise in e- commerce, fintech, mobile and social media. Zbar started his business career at McKinsey & Company. When not working, he loves to spend time outdoors with his family and their dog Barbara.

JOHN CHINA (Executive Producer) is the president of SVB Capital, Silicon Valley Bank’s funds management business, with $5.5 billion under management across venture capital funds of funds as well as direct funds. In this role China is responsible for growing and scaling the funds’ business as well as SVB’s family office practice, which includes its emerging manager and limited partner matching platform LIFT. He now spends most of his time focusing on global limited partners, though he remains a member of SVB’s executive committee. Over the past 24 years at SVB China has constantly and enthusiastically made connections between entrepreneurs, venture investors, the Fortune 500 and winemakers. He led North America technology banking teams specializing in consumer and enterprise software, frontier tech and hardware, fintech, clean energy, private equity, venture capital and premium wine. He has also been responsible for the company’s corporate venturing group, early-stage banking services, global gateway program, credit solutioning group and corporate finance. China is a member of the advisory boards of H2 Global and Hello Alice. He also sits on the board of Techstars, the California Partners Project led by Jennifer Newsom, BUILD.org and Meals on Wheels San Francisco. China earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Stanford University. In his free time he is now learning to kite surf.

BOB EDWARDS (Co-Executive Producer, Sound Designer) is a sound designer, editor and re-recording mixer at Skywalker Sound. In his 30 years at Skywalker, Edwards has contributed to narrative feature films, documentaries, television, internet projects and film scores. He has served as supervising sound editor, sound designer and re-recording mixer on the following Sundance Film Festival dramatic, short film and documentary official selections: Always in Season (2019), Akicita: The Battle of Standing Rock (2018), Dolores (2017), Songs My Brothers Taught Me (2015), Marmato (2014), This May Be the Last Time (2014), Fruitvale Station (2013), Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), On the Ice (2011), La Mission (2009) and Sikumi (2008). Always in Season was the recipient of a Sundance Special Jury Award for Moral Urgency. Fruitvale Station and Beasts of the Southern Wild both won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Filmmaking in their respective years, as well as prestigious awards at the . Sikumi won the 2008 Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Short Filmmaking. Other independent films Edwards has contributed to include Fire in Paradise (2019), Women of the White Buffalo (2019), Lifelines (2019), Foster (2018) and The Buffalo Hunt (2018).

ROBERT GRAHAMJONES (Editor) was born in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and currently resides in Berkeley, California. Early in his career he edited the indie Dumbarton Bridge and served as assistant film editor on Captain EO, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Rising Sun. Grahamjones was a consulting editor on James and the Giant Peach and second film editor on Mr. Holland’s Opus, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc., The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Brave, Finding Dory and, most recently, the new Pixar film Soul.

ROY FINCH (Composer) is a musician, teacher and filmmaker, whose first film, the indie feature Wake, won him the Best Director award at the Queens International Film Festival as well as the prestigious Prism Commendation Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Finch received his film training at Francis Ford Coppola’s American Zoetrope, where he worked on such films as Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Secret Garden, and The Godfather Part III in varying production and post-production capacities. Finch has worked with the world-renowned percussionist Mickey Hart, most notably as a ghost writer and co-composer for Tupac Shakur’s last feature film, Gang Related. Finch has also composed the soundtracks for feature films as well as the hit television show “Survivor.” Finch holds a Bachelors of Arts Degree in music composition from Hampshire College, a Master’s Degree in writing for the performing arts from the University of California and is an active member of the Actors Studio Playwright/Directors unit. Finch is an assistant professor at Chapman University teaching graduate and undergraduate classes in filmmaking. He is currently writing a book on the art of film sound entitled You Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet to be published by Michael Wiese Productions. Finch has a long-standing electronic music collaboration with renowned jazz pianist and composer Jamie Finegan under the name Finegan Finch. Their fourth album, “Neurogensis,” will be released this this fall.