#4 - HORSE-BEING by Jerome Clement-Wilz (France)
The concept of a film following a transvestite's training with an American cowboy to become a horse may at first only attract the viewer due to its curious fetishistic subject. However, it is clear from the very beginning that Horse-Being is far from being exploitative, but rather reflects non-judgementally upon its protagonist's need to undergo such an experience and in the process reflects upon the restrictions imposed upon modern society by means of social, gender and existential classification.
Shots of the painstaking training are balanced with talks with the protagonists, who reveals her ongoing emotions, her motivation behind wanting to take part in such an intense experience, and a little background information on her life and her general viewpoint on the world, which offers as much insight on the topic as it humanizes the admittedly unusual concept. Skillfully, Horse-Being also takes advantage of its country-side setting and poetic montages to allow a meditative interaction with the viewer on its narrative, but also on other, greater themes.