Academy Award-winning director John Zaritsky's documentary, The Wild Horse Redemption, asks: Can two wild creatures - prisoner and mustang - help each other to a better life?
Reel Wednesdays presents the acclaimed NFB documentary at the Adventure Centre Feb. 6. The Wild Horse Inmate Program (WHIP) is a unique form of rehabilitation in a system not known for its humanity.
At a prison in the high desert foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, hard-core criminals are given 90 days to tame wild mustang horses. Most of the inmates who volunteer for the program have never trained a horse before, or even ridden one. Failure means one more defeat for the inmate; success could save both lives.
The Wild Horse Redemption follows the men and mustangs of WHIP through one training cycle. But can a wild creature be rehabilitated, and socialized for safe interaction with humans? "These mustangs, you pressure them too much and they can't handle it," said trainer Guy McEnulty. "They are either going to be trying to jump out of the pen or they are going to turn and try and fight, trying to save their life."
The hardened criminals are taught the training methods of "horse whisperers" to tame and saddle-train wild mustang horses taken from the herd that roams government lands.Jon Peterson, the lead character, has been in prison 27 of his 44 years of life.
Until he started participating in this program, he had no hope of anything better. If he is arrested again after his release, he will spend the rest of his life in prison as an habitual criminal.
"The lessons he has learned from working with the wild horses - creatures so much like himself - have given him hope for the first time," said John Zaritsky during the film's screening at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival.
Reel Wednesday tickets are $7, doors open at 6:30 p.m.
