Báaxpee This Ground is a lyrical and intimate documentary that traces the life and spiritual legacy of Ben Cloud, revered medicine chief of the Crow/Apsaalooke Nation and central figure in the sacred Sun Dance tradition. The film gives direct voice to Chief Cloud as he illustrates the value of sacred ceremonies for indigenous people and articulates the difficult path he has taken to become a spiritual leader for his community. Produced in co-operation with Chief Cloud and other elders,  who served as guides and advisors, the film becomes a living archive — a ceremonial act in itself — offering rare access to the inner world of the Apsáalooke as they carry ancient ritual into the twenty-first century. Merging personal memory with cultural transmission, Báaxpee: This Ground departs from conventional documentary form, embodying the quiet power and profound mystery of a spiritual practice rooted in land, lineage, and the unseen. The film’s broader issues include the Sun Dance as it is practiced today with the inclusion of women and its transformation from preparation for battle, to individual and community healing.

Robin Starbuck
Robin Starbuck is an award-winning filmmaker and artist who produces experimental nonfiction films, installations, and animated media for theater and opera. Her work has been exhibited at numerous international festivals, museums and galleries, including the Madrid Film Festival, the Ethnografilm Festival in Paris, the Stockholm Experimental and Animation Film Festival, and the Anthology Film Archives in New York. A native New Yorker and an adopted daughter of the Appsaalooke/Crow Tribe, Starbuck is currently a professor of film and animation at Sarah Lawrence College.