Conscience Point

Premiered November 18, 2019

Directed by

Treva Wurmfeld

A Native American activist fights to protect her tribe from the onslaughts of development in the Hamptons.

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About the Documentary

Beneath the mystique of The Hamptons, among the wealthiest zip codes in the U.S., lies the history of the area’s original inhabitants, the Shinnecock Indian Nation, who were edged off their land over the course of hundreds of years, relocated to an impoverished reservation, and condemned to watch their sacred burial grounds plowed to make way for mega-mansions and marquee attractions like the exclusive Shinnecock Hills Golf Club–five-time host of the U.S. Open and literally carved out of a sacred Shinnecock burial ground.

Conscience Point tracks this fractured history alongside the spirited path of one woman determined to make a stand: Shinnecock activist Rebecca “Becky” Hill-Genia who, together with other determined tribal members and allies, has waged a relentless, years-long battle to protect the land and her tribe’s cultural heritage from the ravages of development and displacement. Now both the Shinnecock Nation and town residents face a new challenge; the onslaught of elite newcomers who threaten the very place they intend to cherish.

The Filmmaker

Treva Wurmfeld made her feature directorial debut with Shepard & Dark, about playwright Sam Shepard. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2012 and won top awards at the Woodstock International Film Festival, the Cleveland International Film Festival and the Florida Film Festival. That year, Wurmfeld was included in Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film. Shepard & Dark, released by Music Box films in the Fall of 2013, was an official selection at the Cannes Film Festival and Wurmfeld was nominated for the Camera d'Or prize. Previously Wurmfeld shot and produced for the Emmy Award-winning A&E series Intervention and wrote and directed the short film Oyster in 2007. She also produced and directed a short documentary The Hama Hama Way, and received her MFA from Hunter College in 2006.

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