DRESSAGE IN THE MOVIES
Two athletes in pursuit of excellence compete as a closely bonded duo – the inevitable tensions spark the drama in director Sybil H. Mair’s film The Equestrian. The movie is out on the film festival circuit and features a cameo by British Olympic gold-medallist Carl Hester. The film has screened at festivals from New Delhi to Los Angeles, collecting a string of prizes along the way. This past December the film was awarded the Mention D’Honneur for Short Film at the 31st Milano Fédération Internationale Cinema Télévision Sportifs Film Festival.
Billed as a dark psychological drama, the film tells the story of Freddie, an ambitious young rider played by Layke Anderson, and his talented stallion Gaius at the start of a promising career. The film follows their emotional journey after a major competition, leading Freddie to confront painful truths about his relationships with his father, Gaius and ultimately himself.
I caught up with Sybil for a Q&A on this, her latest film.
SL: What inspired you to write the screenplay?
SM: Watching my dressage trainer working with his horses. I became fascinated by the subtle interaction between horse and man. I’d been toying with adapting a short story on horse racing when the idea struck me that something much more interesting, subtle was going on here. I was entranced by the intensity of the relationship between rider and horse. It’s easy to see how racing might be more theatrical, or that jumping provides greater spectacle. With dressage the nuanced complexity of the physical contact combined with the immense concentration and communication required on both their parts proved more compelling. The horse-rider relationship teaches us about ourselves, we learn more about what it is to be a human. It challenges our behaviour, our beliefs. It’s a privilege to experience such a close relationship with another being.
SL: The film is described as dark, is that what you intended?
SM: Some people have found the darker aspects of The Equestrian unsettling. But to paraphrase Roman Polanski, if the film is to have an impact upon the audience, the hero must fall! But in my film, redemption is possible!
SL: How did you find the horses and riders for the film?
SM: I wanted to be able to make someone’s horse a movie star. Luckily, one of the locations used for filming had a stud farm. Sandro’s Dancer was chosen to star as Gaius, the hero stallion, as he is a beautiful black stallion and was trained to a high level in dressage. The stunt horses were chosen by Andy Butcher, a well respected horse master who worked on many films, including “War Horse”. He brought two lovely black stallions, each with distinct strong points: Ode Miro, an even-tempered Lusitano, and Inca, a fiery Arab x Andalusian. Layke rode growing up, so he came with sufficient basic knowledge of riding. Most important was that he was not afraid of interacting with the horse physically on a more personal and emotional level. The other riders were chosen based on experience. Sandro’s Dancer’s regular rider and trainer at the time, Stef Eardley, managed him on set.
SL: What were the most memorable moments during filming?
SM: Some of the best moments in filming were how we captured the horse’s power and grace. It was important for the horse to be a character in his own right. My cinematographer and I wanted to discover and create magical moments which would represent the horse – almost glorify him – by putting his beauty, strength and natural eminence in relief. For me this is everything I find thrilling and addictive about riding. We also needed to bring out his character, his personality. Because in this film he really is a character: he “acts” opposite Freddie. The audience needs to believe that he can influence events through the force of his character. Our dynamic camera crew wanted to push the boundaries of viewing the horse up close and personal. During the riding sequences, they often ran next to the horse to capture shots of the legs or muscles whilst moving, allowing us to show the power of the horse’s movements in a way I had not seen on film before. We were so pleased that Carl Hester agreed to appear. He loved the script, but he could only confirm his availability the day before shooting the scene. This created a special buzz on set as he and his horse Uthopia had just won silver at the Europeans in Rotterdam.
SL: We really liked the music score; how did that come about?
SM: Through a close collaboration with dressage composer Tom Hunt -- who produced the freestyles for Olympic gold-medallists Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester – discussing mood, character development, texture. It was Tom’s first film, and he’s created a wonderfully delicate and graceful score.
SL: What’s next for The Equestrian and where can we see it?
SM: 2014 has a brilliant start with festivals in Russia, Germany, Mexico and the U.S. The DVD, which includes a behind-the-scenes featurette and loads of extras, is to be released in February. And Sandro’s Dancer’s new owner and rider, Sammie Gualtieri, is launching her campaign to compete at high-profile shows and we hope to support them when we can.
For more information about The Equestrian:
Official website: www.theequestrianfilm.com
YouTube: The Equestrian Trailer
Mailing list: enquiries@theequestrianfilm.com
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