Doc/Fest - Sheffield

Ireland’s horse-racing culture has produced some of the finest athletes in the world. Liz Mermin’s ‘Horses’ focuses not on trainers or jockeys, but on the horses themselves. Following three racing champions at an Irish stable through a year as they train, compete, and suffer injuries and defeats, the film draws out such distinct personalities that you would not be blamed for forgetting you were watching animals. Which, it seems, is exactly the intention. Observational docs come and go, but the details of this unusual universe are carefully captured here through compelling performances by the most reticent subjects a doc maker can tackle. Honesty replaces concerns for form, and glances replace words in a very original doc that is ultimately about becoming an active observer. Without ever straying into Disney territory, ‘Horses’ raises basic questions about what constitutes character, and who can have it.