WAR PONY

2022 / 115 min / color

Gina Gammell and Riley Keough’s directorial debut is set on the Pine Ridge reservation, inhabited by Indians of the Lakota tribe. Ignored by state agencies, the reservation doesn’t offer much hope for a bright future. In this stagnant and economically depressed environment, the only chance for survival seems to be by living by your own wits, which often leads to involvement in shady dealings. This is the world in which the two protagonists of War Pony find themselves. Bill, in his twenties, and Matho, a decade younger, don’t have much in common other than their heritage and a shared search for a place to belong. They grapple with the brutal realities of poverty, unemployment, dysfunctional families, and exploitation. Awarded the Golden Camera for Best Debut at the last Cannes Film Festival, the film combines the light poetics of coming of age movies with careful observation and social acuity. The subtle narrative, coupled with superb performances by non-professional actors, provides an emotionally engaging, bittersweet portrait of people fighting against the odds.

• Cannes IFF – Golden Camera
• Deauville FF – Jury Prize, Revelations Prize
• Torino FF – Holden Award for Best Script, Prize of the City of Torino (Best Actor – LaDainian Crazy Thunder, Jojo Bapteise Whiting )
• Zurich FF – Special Mention