U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee to Screen "The Women in the Sand"

WASHINGTON - May 11, 2018 - PRLog -- Leftwood Pictures' The Women In the Sand, a documentary about two feisty elders of Death Valley's Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, will screen at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center on Thursday, May 17, at 6:00 p.m. with a Q&A to follow. This is a private showing for the House Natural Resources Committee, which serves the Federal Departments of the Interior, Energy, and Homeland Security, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency.

Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee Edward James Olmos narrates this moving story of Pauline and Maddy Esteves, two tribal elders now in their 80s and 90s, who have struggled all their lives with the Federal Government and their own Tribal Council to overcome injustice and save the ancient culture of Death Valley's original people. Through storytelling and archival images dating back to the Gold Rush, Pauline and Maddy, along with historians and other members of the Timbisha tribe, reveal the rich history of their people and their unyielding courage to stand up to corporations, the U.S. government, and greedy Tribal authorities.

The program will be  introduced by Rep. Raul Grijalva, (AZ-D,) the ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee, who will be joined by fellow committee member Paul Cook (CA-R), whose district includes Death Valley.  Producers Steve Jarvis, Kate Fosselman, and Bob Goodman will be present.

The filmmakers, joined by Joe Kennedy, the former Tribal Council Chairman of the Timbisha tribe, bring to Washington a message of gratitude and hope from the elders that the Federal government will consider funding for programs to teach young Timbisha their language, arts and traditional customs before these are forever lost. In a video greeting to the Committee, Pauline spoke of how important it is for today's Timbisha youth to "know who they are." Both women expressed their appreciation to the Committee Representatives for taking the time to watch and hear their story.

The Women in the Sand, as an official selection of the 2017 Red Nation Film Festival, was given a special screening and received a standing ovation at AMPAS' Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study's Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. It was nominated for Best Feature at the 2017 TMC London Film Festival and awarded laurels from Impact Docs Awards and Accolade Global Film Competition. The Women in the Sand is an official selection of the 2018 Toronto Independent Film Festival.

Leomark Studios is the U.S. distributor and international sales agent for The Women in the Sand. To learn more, contact info@leomarkstudios.com.