In the vast Nevada desert, hundreds of horses still run free. Some of them are captured by local ranchers, broken, trained and sold. Dutch director Marjoleine Boonstra visited one of the ranches and spent three months filming as a small group of men turned these wild animals into 'saddles horses' ready for auction. But this was no ordinary ranch; it is part of the Northern Nevada Correctional Center and the horse trainers are inmates.
'Among Horses and Men' Movie Review
Bo, Charles, Chris, Dean, Gilbert, Mike and Steven are all in the final phase of long prison sentences. Before they are released, they take part in this unconventional rehabilitation program, under the patient guidance of veteran cowboy Hank Curry.
During the course of the three-month program, the men learn how to win the horses’ trust and to make non-violent contact with another living creature. As Chris puts it, "I believe the horse is teaching you a lot about yourself, your character flaws, your weaknesses and your strength even."
This is not the first time Marjoleine Boonstra has made a movie about life in prison.Bela Bela (2001) follows four poets – two Russians, a Romanian and a Cuban - who used their imaginations to survive incarceration under dictatorial regimes.
The Dutch director, whose résumé lists as many photography and video installation projects as movies, says the inspiration for Among Horses and Men stemmed from her interest in physical contact, which is largely absent - if not prohibited - in prisons. What intrigued her about the correctional facility in Nevada was the fact that contact is permitted, although not with other humans but with animals.
Nevada Scenery Beautifully Captured
Boonstra’s photographer’s eye is clearly visible in many of her shots, particularly of the surrounding landscape. The quiet, almost painterly scenes of the empty plains and towering mountains, in which often the only thing moving is a bird in flight, are contrasted with energetic sequences of stampeding horses, their nostrils flaring and pounding hooves kicking up the Nevada desert dust.
Providing the documentary’s human element are close-ups of the prisoners’ faces, always filmed frontally in what could be considered Boonstra's signature style.
Interviewing Style Breaks Narrative Flow, Provides Humor
Boonstra says that as an interviewee she “doesn’t say much”. She is never in view, but her voice is heard regularly. This reminder of her presence intrudes on the almost dreamlike world she creates through her images of cool, misty mornings and whinnying mustangs, disturbing the narrative flow.
However, her questions also result in much of the movie’s wry humor and pithy one-liners. In one instance, Boonstra asks Gilbert how many prisons he has seen. Gilbert pauses before responding, "In this state?"
A Delicately Handled Documentary
The basic idea at the core of Among Horses and Men – the encounter between man and beast – makes it easy to draw parallels between the vulnerability of the horses and the weaknesses of their trainers. While these are true, to a certain extent, they mask the nuance of Boonstra’s delicately handled film, which is as hopeful as it is insightful.
‘Among Horses and Men’ Has Premiere at IDFA
Among Horses and Men had its world premiere at IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam) in November 20, 2010. It was also one of the 17 movies selected for the IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary, a category introduced in 2009 to recognize local productions. The award in this category eventually went to Leonard Retel Helmrich for his Position Among the Stars
Among Horses and Men is produced by Viewpoint Productions. The documentary will screen at select movie theaters in Holland from January 20, 2011, including art house cinema Rialto in Amsterdam. The documentary will go on general release from February 10, 2011.
Cecily Layzell - Cecily Layzell is a food and travel writer and founder of restaurant review site www.eat-amsterdam.com.
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