IRISH PREMIERE

What might life look like from the perspective of a horse? That is the challenge this unusual and highly entertaining documentary takes up. Director Liz Mermin tracked the experiences of three promising racehorses, Joncol, Ardalan and Cuan na Grai, over the course of a year at trainer Paul Nolan’s Toberona stables in County Wexford. While Nolan and his staff play an integral and important part in the film, the focus is very much on the day-to-day lives of the magnificent animals in their care. As Mermin’s camera follows the horses, whether they are training, at rest or preparing for a race, we experience each of their distinct personalities. Culled from hundreds of hours of footage, this beautiful film does an extraordinary job in providing audiences with a sense of what it means to be a top-end racehorse in Ireland.

Q&A with director Liz Mermin.