Among Horses and Men

In the vast desert of Nevada, two raw and unpolished worlds come together. With the rugged mountains and vivid colors in the background, wild men and horses are vulnerably facing off. Chris, Dean, Gilbert, Charles, Steven, Bo and Mike are all young inmates at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center, in the last phase of lengthy prison sentences. Before returning to society, they are participating in a special project that allows them to capture, tame and train wild horses for periodic auctions. Filmmaker Marjoleine Boonstra follows the detainees over the course of three months of intensive training, during which time the men see themselves reflected in the eyes of their horses. The men learn to win the trust of another living being once again, a skill that has slipped away during their time on the inside. Horses are incredibly perceptive creatures: they take the men as they are, without a history, without a record, but only if the men are just as open and vulnerable as they are. Boonstra captures the intimacy between these "tough guys" and their equine counterparts in a touching moment of transition: on the threshold of freedom, while exchanging looks of reflection.