February Question
The best way I can describe the mental and spiritual exhaustion from the filming of "Bury My Heart" is by telling a story of one scene with Eddie Spears. One day I was working with Eddie he was prepping for his character's mourning the death of his son. Eddie Spears had to take a breather because emotionally he knew he had to give as much as he could for the scene. I walked up to him and asked if he was ok, and if he needed help. He said "no, I got it but it's so hard because all I see is ghosts." I asked him what he meant, he said "Adam, this is where I'm from and the story is dealing with my grandfathers, my relatives, my ancestors. And that little boy who is acting like he has tuberculosis, I can't help but realize he's playing a relative of mine, so this is real to me. It's like I'm seeing ghosts." And when I heard him say this I couldn't help but feel my own emotions and realize that in order for me to connect with Charles Eastman, I had to look at everyone as ghosts. So Eddie Spears taught me that sometimes we play people that are connected to us through ancestry and it's important to remember that we are speaking for them. Allow the spirits to whisper to you. Be honest with your emotions, and these spirits will help you speak. This was my experience throughout the filming of "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee."
Thank you Eddie Spears for not being afraid to share your emotions because it definitely shows in the film.
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