REZ BALL coming to Netflix: An interview with director Sydney Freeland and first look photos

The script was co-written with Sterlin Harjo and Sydney Freeland, and LeBron James as producer of the film, which will be released on Netflix on September 27, 2024.

REZ BALL is coming to Netflix! REZ BALL is a new basketball sports drama headed to Netflix that takes place in the Navajo Nation and follows the high school team, the Chuska Warriors. REZ BALL was directed by Sydney Freeland and co-written with Sterlin Harjo. LeBron James is a producer of the film, which hits Netflix on September 27, 2024.

Netflix asked Native Viewpoint’s Vincent Schilling to release a world-premiere interview with the director of REZ BALL, Sydney Freeland (Navajo).

In an interview with Sydney Freeland, (Navajo) Native Viewpoint’s Vincent Schilling (Akwesasne Mohawk) asked Freeland her thoughts on the film as well as working with new Native actors and what it was like filming REZ BALL in the same areas of the Navajo Rez that she grew up in as a child. Since Freeland was also a self-proclaimed ‘terrible athlete,’ her experiences on the Rez, playing basketball, and scouting locations she has known all her life, all served as inspiration for REZ BALL.

You can watch the video interview here. 

(Editor’s note: You can also read the transcript of the interview below. Please note that normal speech patterns have been mildly edited for clarity.)

Vincent Schilling: REZ BALL, which I recently viewed thanks to Netflix, is a wonderful story about these Navajo High School basketball team players, the Chuska Warriors. It is also about the beauty and resilience of Native American culture and the reality of reservation life. What is the importance of a film like this to you?

Sydney Freeland: I think this is an incredibly important film for all of us. I think when we first started trying to crack the story, it was all about how we would tell the story. So much has been told about life on reservations, on the Indigenous experience, and Native Americans in general from the outside in. It’s a very specific sort of perspective and we wanted to do kind of the opposite of that, which is we wanted to tell the story from the inside out. 

So a lot of that was just drawing on [our own experiences,] like when Sterlin and I were sort of talking about our initial kernels of the story, it was sort of like, ‘What would we want to tell, what would we want to do?’ We just drew a lot from our own personal experiences, and we found there was a lot of overlap in that, and we really just tried to try to capture that and put that together on on the screen and form REZ BALL.

Vincent Schilling: This whole process to me, as a Native American film critic, has been really exciting. I have to say thanks to Netflix, who literally bought out a theater for me to watch this film. When I was watching this film. It opens up to these beautiful images of the world of a [Native American] reservation, especially the Navajo Nation. The cinematography was gorgeous and well done. As things started to unfold, I just found tears rolling down my face because we, as Native people, don’t get this very much.

This story is just incredible. You’ve come from such films as Drunktown’s Finest and Marvel’s Echo, and now you have REZ BALL on Netflix. Wow. How far you have come as a director, it’s an honor to sit here and talk to you. What is it like looking back at where you started and where you are now?

Sydney Freeland: I will say this project in particular had particular personal meaning for myself, because yes, I’ve been very fortunate and able to work on a project like Marvel and work in TV and so on. But I am Navajo, and I’m from the Navajo reservation, and I played basketball growing up.

Vincent Schilling: Now that I didn’t know. (laughs)

Sydney Freeland: I was a terrible athlete, but I did play. I think for myself, it was particularly exciting to come back, literally, in this case, home and scout locations in places that I lived on my home reservation to cast Navajo people to be actors in the film, [and] to shoot it in Shiprock on the reservation.

I’m originally from a town called Gallup, and I went to high school in a town called Farmington. We used to drive by Shiprock every single weekend and come and go from boarding school where I went, and Shiprock was just a rock in the distance; it was just a nice-looking thing. And now it’s the centerpiece and the spine of our film.

I think it was particularly meaningful for me to be able to come home and shoot on my reservation. That being said, it’s still a film production, a movie. You still have all these things bearing down on you. And so, it was a balance of trying to soak in the moment and appreciate the gravity of what we were able to do while also remembering that we had to make a movie.

Vincent Schilling: Life versus logistics.

Sydney Freeland: There were definitely moments where, you’ve been on 100 film sets, and then you turn around, it’s like, ‘Oh, I went to this place with my dad when I was six years old.’ So it was definitely trying to take in those moments to appreciate stuff. We also tried to capture some of that sense of mentality and emotion and authenticity into the film as well.

Vincent Schilling: Authenticity is a big word for this film, and it deserves the stamp [of authenticity]. You know, it’s definitely got my stamp of authenticity approval. It’s just an incredible, incredible body of work. I have to say, there are some wonderful actors in this film. People I’ve never seen before. How did you find all these all these great new actors? Because you know that joke about Hollywood that has always said, ‘Well, you can never find enough Native American actors.’ Well, then go watch a film by Sidney Freeland.

Sydney Freeland: I think you hit the nail on the head. Authenticity is and was at the core of everything that we did. Starting with the actors, it was extremely important for myself being a huge basketball fan. These kids had to be able to act, but they had to be able to play basketball as well, too, right?

So many movies or TV shows, they’ll show the talent in front of the camera and a close-up like this. They are doing this (motions) off camera, and they cut to the reverse where you can’t see their face. It’s obviously a body double.

For us, it was extremely important that these kids be able to deal with a basketball. So, you’re asking double of these kids who have never been on a film set before to also act and play basketball. So, how we went about it is, obviously, having LeBron [James] as a producer definitely helped.

We did a casting call in the U.S. and Canada, and we got 5,000 submissions. What everybody had to do in their audition is that they had to put themselves on tape reading the lines and, being the actor, but in addition to that, they also had to do three things. They had to shoot a free throw, shoot a layup, and shoot a three-pointer. So that allowed myself and my casting director to see just how competent they are. A lot of times, people will put on their resume, ‘I’m an experienced horseback rider or ballet dancer, and it’s just kind of lip service. So that helped us really hone the list down. From those 5,000, we just trimmed it down until we ultimately got a list of about 28 kids and we flew them into Albuquerque, and we did what we called Rez Ball Invitational.

This was the first half of the day: casting callbacks and chemistry reads, all the actor-actorly stuff. The second half of the day was what we called the basketball camp. We had an amazing basketball choreographer through Spring Hill who sort of ran them through their paces, ran into their drills, and choreographed some plays and some sets for them to do. We had a conversation, and at the end of the day, we picked the best of the best that we needed to tell both emotionally from an actor’s standpoint and also on the court from a basketball standpoint.

Vincent Schilling: (Summarized) All of the actors were wonderful, and many of them were first-time actors. Two standouts for me were Amber Midthunder and Kauchani Bratt, the leading role actor.

Sydney Freeland: It was a great environment to have people like Amber [Midthunder,] Julia [Jones,] and Jessica [Matten,] who had professional experience. Basically, our 10 players, for the most part, had never set foot on a film set before this.

I think for myself, and having had the chance to work with first-time or non-actors, I was aware of my limitations. I think one of the things when you’re working with established actors who’ve got time during prep to rehearse, and the actors are doing a lot of their work on their own. I think one of the things that was important for me was bringing on somebody who could work with the actors and give them some foundation and some sort of civilizational tools and skills that they can take onto a film set. We actually hired an acting coach, Noelle Gentile, who came in, and she specializes in working with non-actors or athletes who are going to act and, basically, people who don’t come from a traditional and sort of acting background. She was absolutely instrumental because she was able to work with them while I was location scouting, prepping and doing all this other stuff, and she was an absolutely invaluable asset. And I have to acknowledge her work with those kids to get them primed and ready for shooting.

These kids come from the places we’re trying to portray. A lot of it was just trying to give them permission to be themselves. And that manifested in the form of drama, but also comedy and humor. I think that that tells me that Amber’s having fun, Devon’s having fun, and then it’s building off each other. There were, and there are definitely, a couple of moments where we were able to feel like we were able to capture lightning in a bottle. I was like, that’s the rez. That’s the experience that I know.

Vincent Schilling: (Summarized) That’s awesome. As a filmmaker, you often address the existence of generational trauma within Native communities without going over the top. Can you talk about that?

Sydney Freeland: I think a lot of it was really just trying to be true, trying to be honest, trying to be realistic in our approach. Without giving anything away, we also didn’t want to romanticize, glamorize or sensationalize anything. It’s really about trying to use your own internal barometer as much as you can, with authenticity being our North Star. My job is not to be the morality police, my job is not to try to solve anything or try to solve trauma, it’s to tell a story and hopefully that can spark a conversation and somebody much smarter than myself, can come up with some some way to resolve things in a more productive manner.

For us, it was really just about what feels real, what feels authentic. And if it doesn’t feel that way, how can we get back into that lane of authenticity? So that meant showing the good, the bad, and the ugly, and not shying away from stuff. And also simultaneously, there are certain things that we want it to be respectful of.

Vincent Schilling: (Summarized) Also, referring to this lightning in a bottle, were there any lucky or magical moments that made you say, ‘Wow?’ The whole film has magical moments.

Sydney Freeland: I think it starts with casting and having these kids that could tap into their own experiences and bring that onto the camera. So much of that was just trying to give them permission to be themselves and to draw from those things. I think for myself, a lot of times as a director, I’ll come in with a very specific idea of what I want from a scene and how I think it should play or go. And then they’ll do something, or just a line read or tweak something like that. It’s like, ‘Damn, that’s so much better than what I thought of.’ At the same time, you have to get it out of your mind as well and be open to that. A lot of it was just being open to inspiration. In the moment.

There’s a scene with Devin and Amber. They’re in a car together. I think it was probably our third day of shooting, and for these kids, it’s their third day ever on a film set. So Devin Sampson Craig and Amber Midthunder pull up in this car, and they have a conversation with Kauchani [Bratt], our main character. I just remember the way they were sort of playing off each other and the way they were kind of vibing.

Vincent Schilling: (Summarized) That’s the reason why I said Kauchani and Amber, because of the dynamic energy between them. There are so many beautiful moments. So far, REZ BALL is my favorite film of 2024 it is just a blast. Mark my words, and this will continue to be an iconic film, not just for Indian country, but Netflix is going to be like, ‘Wow, okay, Native stories are good stories.’ This is just a beautiful, beautiful story. I recommend highly that anyone check this out because it’s just it’s just, it’s just fantastic. By the way, I reached out to Sterlin Harjo, and he said, ‘Tell Sydney I miss her. We’re both so busy. We never see each other very much.’

Sydney Freeland: Oh, yeah, he’s a busy guy.

Vincent Schilling: (Summarized) You all are just killing it in the world of Indian Country film. It’s no longer just an Indian Country film. You’ve transcended. Our ancestors are looking at all. You guys just going to keep killing it. I’m just thrilled to talk to you, and I think you’ve been doing wonderful work. Let me be the first to say, ‘REZ BALL is just spectacular. I really mean it is just a fantastic film.’

Sydney Freeland: Thank you. Thank you. It’s a brave new world. You’ve got Native shows, Native actors, Native actresses getting Emmy nominations, it’s a very exciting time and place to be right now.

Vincent Schilling: It really is extremely exciting and you’re one of the ones leading the charge. We’re all watching because you’re just continuing to kick butt. So, Sydney, you are awesome. Thank you so much. I appreciate talking to you, as always.

Sydney Freeland: Awesome. Thanks.

About the film, REZ BALL

Release Date: September 27, 2024 

Director: Sydney Freeland

Writers: Sydney Freeland and Sterlin Harjo 

Producers: Katie Elmore and Maurício Mota, Spencer Beighley, Jamal Henderson and LeBron James, and Nancy Utley

Executive Producers: Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping, D. Scott Lumpkin,  Maverick Carter, Jodi Archambault

Production Companies: Springhill Company Production, Wise Entertainment Production, Chernin Entertainment and Lake Ellyn Entertainment Production

Key Cast: Jessica Matten, Kauchani Bratt, Cody Lightning, Dallas Goldtooth, Ernest David Tsosie, Kusem Goodwind, Zoey Reyes with Amber Midthunder and Julia Jones. 

Additional Cast: Devin Sampson-Craig, River Rayne Thomas, Jojo Jackson, Avery Hale, Hunter Redhorse Arthur, Henry Wilson Jr, Jaren K. Robledo, Damian Henry Castellane

INSPIRED BY THE BOOK “Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation” and THE NEW YORK TIMES article by Michael Powell

Film Synopsis: In the heart of Chuska, New Mexico, the Chuska Warriors, a high school basketball team rich in Native American heritage, face their greatest challenge. After the loss of their star player, the team must unite like never before to keep their dreams of a state championship alive. This is more than just a game; it’s a journey of resilience and unity, a true underdog story deeply rooted in Native American culture. 

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