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Report from Toronto 2007: The Wild Horse Redemption

Published on October 16, 2007

The Toronto International Film Festival finished its 32nd run September 16th. Known in the public eye for its star-studded Galas, Toronto is also a platform for independent work, even social issue documentaries. A lot had changed in the past few years for Toronto's doc program. Thom Powers, who also programs The Stranger than Fiction series at New York City's IFC Center, took over as programmer two years ago and spearheaded several new doc strands to create a stronger presence for non-fiction work at the festival. Doc Talks this year featured "Why Democracy?," a panel discussion with the BBC's Nick Fraser about the commissioned documentary collection. Three of the ten "Why Democracy?" docs screened at this year's fest: Iron Ladies of Liberia, Please Vote for Me, and Dinner with the President: A Nation's Journey.

The word on the street was the non-fiction this year was kind of bland, no earth-shattering stories, and aesthetically only traditional fare. That may be true in the "wow" factor—yes, there wasn't a Kurt Cobain: About a Son to shine a light on unconventional approaches to doc making, or a Lake Of Fire to inspire many layers of conversation. Still, several docs screened that are remarkable. Werner Herzog was on hand for the premiere of Encounters at the End of the World, his exploration of life at the United States research outpost in the South Pole. Grant Gee's Joy Division, about the life and death of the band's frontman Ian Curtis, was a surprise hit. Also creating a lot of buzz was Body of War, a striking anti-war doc by Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue—in Donahue's directorial debut—with music by Eddie Vedder who was also on hand. Exile was a theme in several docs including Peter Raymont's A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman, about the novelist Dorfman and his flight from—and love of—Chile. Two documentaries focused on the criminal justice system: The Wild Horse Redemption, John Zaritsky's take on an unusual rehabilitation program at a Colorado prison and David Schisgall's Very Young Girls, which uses interviews and shocking verité footage to tackle child prostitution on our own shores.

The Wild Horse Redemption is John Zaritsky's take on an unusual rehabilitation program at a Colorado prison.

Zaritsky's film makes a perfect fit for MediaRights because of its criminal justice system focus. It's also an unusual film because it brings animals into the mix. The Wild Horse Inmate Program uses wild mustangs as participants, collaborators really, in the rehabilitation of male inmates at a Colorado Rocky Mountain correctional facility. The horses are rounded up on federal land in Wyoming, tamed by the prisoners under the guidance of professional "horse whisperers," then put up for adoption. The process is arduous and fulfilling. As the horses are trained, the men are transformed—and they are both released successfully back into the world. At least that's the idea, and there's evidence it works.

The Wild Horse Redemption premiered in the Toronto International Film Festival's Real to Reel section and was produced in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and The National Film Board of Canada. Zaritsky has made many social issue docs including Just Another Missing Kid, which won an Academy Award in 1982.

Harriette Yahr: What drew you to this story?
John Zaritsky: Cowboys, Bad Guys and Wild Horses...how could I resist? I felt all three issues were still a subject of curiosity and romanticism for millions of Americans, and that I could find compelling stories of men and horses that would equal a dramatic formula.

It's a visually compelling film too. Did you get lucky or was that part of your interest too?
I was struck by the visual possibility of filming wild horses being rounded up on a red desert in Wyoming on a cold, bitter, winter day. It was a visually stunning experience. And the location of the prison ranch on the high desert of Colorado was a location every filmmaker would want. We used two cameras, one stationed at the entrance of the trap and the other positioned on a high ridge, and were able to capture the natural beauty of the location as well as the emotional narrative of captivity and liberation. We also very deliberately cast cowboys and inmates for their physical appeal to audiences, and stayed away from inmates that projected a more sinister image—an image that would give people the creeps.

Something I found interesting was how quickly the men's confidence levels seemed to increase, once they got in the groove as trainers.
I was also impressed at how quickly the inmates adjusted. Matt Peoples, one of the film stars, entered the program as a bit of a fat nerd but within days he was cool and fearless when he faced his first wild mustang. Another star, Brandon Clay, grew up in the slums of Dallas and Denver and was very fearful of horses when he first came in to the program. The film chronicles him overcoming his fears and how he matures and grows as a man.

The Wild Horse Inmate Program uses wild mustangs as participants and collaborators in the rehabilitation of male inmates at a Colorado Rocky Mountain correctional facility.

There's a powerful thread of "patience" in the film. Lack of impulse control got most of these guys into trouble to begin with, and the benefits of patience brought about by the wild horse training seem a panacea. Was that something that was apparent to you from the beginning?
No it wasn't. Everybody in the program, both cowboys and inmates alike, always spoke about how important the horse program was in developing patience. I didn't fully appreciate it until several months in to filming. But after watching the men train, you realize how much patience and persistence is required, and you see the transformation of the inmates in both patience and anger management.

How did you choose the men you featured?
From the outset, I always felt this would be enormously appealing to female audiences—as long as I cast properly. So I was lucky to find five inmates of different ages and distinctive looks that would be attractive and sympathetic to women. It was challenging in that I was a straight guy judging male sex appeal, so I consulted with the female members of the film crew, as well as close family and friends, for their opinion as to whether we satisfied the "hunk" factor. Based on the feedback I've received, I believe we've succeeded in that regard.

Was there anyone—or any storyline—you needed to drop during editing you initially thought would work?
Sadly, yes. There was a wonderful, funny Latino inmate named 'Garcia' who I thought would be a major character in the film. Much to my considerable dismay, a number of people associated with the film at the rough cut stage thought there were too many characters, so after much discussion, Garcia hit the editing room floor. As they say in showbiz—you win some, you lose some. I console myself with at least winning the larger battles of the film.

Do you script as you go, or edit as you go—what is your process as a filmmaker?
Up to now, I have always shot 80-90% of footage before entering the edit room. In this case, I was in a situation where in order to meet the Toronto Festival deadline, I had to immediately edit after every location shoot.

How did that work?
We had a total of 10 location shoots over the course of six months. Since we were shooting training processes, and the horses and the inmates were beyond our control, we never really knew what to expect minute-by-minute. So we'd capture the story and then we'd take our several hours of footage and try to make sense of it in the edit room. Once we edited, we'd go back to location only to find major changes—for both the inmates and the horses—had occurred in our absence. In the end, we shot more inmates and horses than appeared in the final cut, as we were uncertain which story arcs would develop and which would languish. It was a very difficult experience.

There seemed to be a lot of love all over the screen. Especially between captor and captive. Was that something you found unusual?
No, but you are right that there was a lot of love all over the place. For example, when we filmed John finally getting on the back of his beloved mustang, Samson, I was moved the same way I had been while watching the great love scenes in classic films.

How do you think this program would play out for more violent criminals?
I don't. I think the present policy of the program not to accept violent and sex criminals is smart. I think such criminals pose a danger to themselves and certainly to the horses. The program succeeds because it takes non-violent inmates who are reasonably serious about changing their lives.

It seems the very act of being on this film—speaking out and being seen publicly—was healing for these inmates. What do you think?
I think the inmates found the experience of being film subjects a therapeutic one. I don't find that unusual, in that I've found for years that numerous film subjects of mine find the experience to be healing and therapeutic for them.

Were you affected in any way that surprised you making this film?
Yes, I was very surprised that I became as attached to the horses as I did. As somebody who had not been near a horse since age 6—when I sat on a pony!—I was quite amazed that I became as involved with the horses and their personalities. I was also deeply affected by a number of inmates in the film. I found myself cheering for them and hoping for them to make the changes they wanted.

The horses are rounded up on federal land in Wyoming, tamed by the prisoners under the guidance of professional "horse whisperers," then put up for adoption.

How about your ideas of judgment or redemption. Did they shift in any way?
Yes, enormously. During my career I've made several films about victims of violent crime: murder victims, rape victims, child abuse victims and victims of domestic violence. So I approached doing a film about inmates supposedly being rehabilitated with skepticism and not a lot of sympathy. But over the course of filming, I saw these men develop and learn important life lessons, so that by the end of the experience I came to believe that programs like these are better than the old "lock 'em up and throw away the key" approach. Yes, I believe in redemption and I believe that even the most hardened, non-violent criminal can be rehabilitated.

You did outreach for the program at Toronto. How did that go, any results?
As you know, four cowboys from the Colorado program appeared at the Toronto premiere and were a big hit with the audience. As a result of their appearance, the Bureau of Land Management had received enquiries about the wild horse adoption program.

I’m curious if you see yourself as activist.
Yes. Aside from the crime films I mentioned before, I’ve also made films about Aids in Africa, ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, thalodomide children, prostate cancer, arthritis sufferers and missing children. So most of my work has been to focus on socially important issues that I've felt deeply about. Only occasionally have I been able to get off my addictive diet of dealing with destruction and disaster to do something light and entertaining.

What is the role of a documentary filmmaker?
For me, the role of the documentary filmmaker is to bring to audiences dramatic and important stories that can change hearts and minds, and promote change for the better. I'll get off the soapbox now, but you asked...

How about advice to filmmakers just starting out?
I used to tell my film students at the University of British Columbia, all aspiring Spielbergs, that I would never choose this for fame and fortune. But if they wanted to pursue documentary filmmaking, there will be a lot of work and a lot more fun because documentary filmmaking is essentially a continuation of university education. It is a life long adventure where your go and meet people, visit places and experience things that 99.9% of people will never get to.

I heard a rumor...that you adopted one of the horses...
After the Toronto premiere, the Colorado cowboys approached me to see if I had any interest in adopting Samson, the central star horse. I immediately agreed. I had become quite attached to Samson and his difficult personality and wild ways, all of which I identified with. So the next day when I sobered up, I realized a three-story townhouse in Vancouver might not be the best thing for Samson, and besides, the neighbors might complain. But the cowboys told me that Sam could stay on the prison ranch for a year, and then we could send Sam to a place where he'd be happy. I've had several appealing offers, which I'm considering. In the meantime, I'm comforted by the fact the Sam will be well taken care of and will be able to live out a very fulfilling life.