As “The Brittney Griner Story” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, Brittney Griner stepped into the spotlight once again. This time, with the hope that her journey could spark a change.

Directed by Alexandria Stapleton, the 1-hour 47-minute documentary debuts Tuesday afternoon and revisits some of the most difficult chapters of the WNBA star’s life. It also connects to concerns she says feel increasingly familiar in the United States.

According to the official Sundance blog, the film traces the career path that briefly led Griner away from the WNBA and into an international crisis. The central focus is her 2022 arrest in Russia on substance smuggling charges, a case that went viral and resulted in a highly publicized trial.

Brittney Griner was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in Russian prison, spending close to ten months navigating the Russian justice system. She was released in December 2022 as part of a prisoner exchange.

Ahead of the premiere, while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Griner shared her experience, while also addressing recent events in Minnesota:

“Right now, we’re in a very bad place, especially with everything that’s going on in Minnesota and just across our country. I hope this film can shed some light into what it could be like if we keep letting this happen.” Griner added that the documentary feels more relevant with each passing day.

“I definitely think people will understand a little bit more now and be able to see some comparisons,” she noted.

Director Stapleton echoed her view, hoping the film would serve as a “cautionary tale” for the audience.

Griner found the process cathartic

In another interview with The Wrap, Griner described the process of making the documentary as unexpectedly therapeutic. “Trying to find counseling for being detained in a Russian prison is kind of hard when you type that in Google,” she admitted.

Opening up through the film also helped ease difficult conversations with family. “We would talk, we would cut and keep talking,” Griner said. “So, it was very healing to make this film and heal at the same time.”

After having experienced what she did, Griner recently launched 'Zenjet', a travel safety startup aimed at helping people avoid legal and medical complications abroad.

Currently playing Unrivaled season 2 in Miami, the 6'9 center is excited about her future. She’s eager to rejoin the Atlanta Dream once the new CBA negotiations are finalized and free agency begins.

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Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Joyita Das