BEING THUNDER, A STIRRING FEATURE-LENGTH DOCUMENTARY, FOLLOWS SHERENTE, A TWO-SPIRIT GENDERQUEER TEEN AND THEIR ADVOCACY WITHIN
THE NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITY
In Indigenous cultures, a Two-spirit person embodies masculine and feminine qualities through many gender expressions informed by Indigenous traditions and community roles. BEING THUNDER, an Official Selection of Frameline, NewFest, The American Indian Film Festival and the Inside Out Film Festival, introduces this Native American role by focusing on the life and advocacy of Sherente Mishitahin Harris, a Two-spirit genderqueer teenager from Rhode Island’s Narragansett tribe.
Wearing traditional female dress, Sherente joyfully performs a traditional female dance in competition at Powwows around New England, but not everyone accepts Sherente’s inclusion in the “girls” category. BEING THUNDER is the stirring story of Sherente’s persistence, aided by love and unconditional support from peers and family. Facing biased Powwow judges to tackling college applications, Sherente shines through as a role model for youth worldwide to go against the grain and live their authentic selves with tenacity and grace.
French filmmaker Stéphanie Lamorré quietly documents Sherente’s life and family interactions over the course of several years, revealing the struggles and triumphs faced by the determined teen courageously navigating questions of identity, expression, and how to be one’s authentic self. BEING THUNDER is a stunning observational documentary and a rare example of a three-dimensional, Indigenous LGBTQ+ BIPOC story, demonstrating the need for far more on screen representation.
BEING THUNDER (2021)
Written & Directed by: Stéphanie Lamorré
Produced by: Marc Berdugo, Barbara Conforti, Mae Gamminio
Edited by: Ael Dallier Vega
