“What do you have to say?” a professor challenges college student Mary Thompson Fisher aka Te Ata (Q’orianka Kilcher, “The New World”). “What stories do you have to tell? What could you show me that I haven’t seen before?” These questions prompt Te Ata, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, to write and star in a play about the Chickasaw culture and people. And that’s just the beginning.
As a new trailer for Nathan Frankowski’s “Te Ata” hints, the titular character’s college play is the first of many successful turns onstage. She stars on Broadway, tours across the U.S. and even performs for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. However, Te Ata and her family still encounter violence and prejudice, even as her success as an actress and performer grows.
The young woman even faces resistance from her own father (Gil Birmingham, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), who can’t understand why Te Ata is so adamant about leaving home. “I have to go so that I can tell our stories,” she explains.
“Te Ata’s journey to find her true calling led her through isolation, discovery, love, and a stage career that culminated in performances for a United States president, European royalty, and audiences across the world,” the film’s official synopsis summarizes. “Yet of all the stories she shared, none are more inspiring than her own.”
Written by Esther Luttrell (“Lithium Springs”), “Te Ata” co-stars Cindy Pickett (“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”), Brigid Brannagh (“Army Wives”), and Mackenzie Astin (“Scandal”).
“Te Ata” will open in Oklahoma theaters on September 29 and hit NY and LA October 13 with additional cities to follow. Check out the film’s new trailer and poster below.
