Most of us are familiar with the idea of regretting the things we didn’t do rather than the things we did. Most of us also have a bucket list of grand items that we’ll get around to “someday” or “eventually”. It’s a sad fact that most lives are littered with the bones of these unfulfilled dreams and ambitions. Perhaps that’s what makes epic modern adventure stories so appealing, like the one presented in Sean Cisterna’s feature doc, The Long Rider.
The film tells the story of one man’s journey on horseback from Calgary to his family home Sao Paulo, Brazil; a journey of over 25000km. Inspired by Swiss schoolteacher Aimé Tschiffely’s similar trek in 1925, Felipe Masetti Leite’s journey took him and his three horses (Frenchie, Bruiser, and Dude) through 13 countries over two years where together they faced almost every obstacle known to man or beast including: foul weather, unstable terrain, violent people, and perhaps the most daunting of all, sheer bureaucratic stupidity and inertia concerning taking his horses across borders, including one instance at the Costa Rica-Panama border which almost shut down the trip.
With every step of this amazing odyssey expertly documented and shot by Felipe himself (he receives official credit as cinematographer), The Long Rider is an astonishing visual record of a journey that is as inspiring as it is thrilling. Felipe himself is a compelling character who despite his courage and dedication, is not averse to showing his more vulnerable moments of sadness, fear and even hopelessness at various stages of the trip.
But as many lows as he encounters, there are many more highs including the ample assistance he receives in Mexico and the ecstatic hero’s welcome bestowed upon him in his native Brazil. The biggest surprise of the film lies in the fact that his journey doesn’t end with his arrival in Sao Paulo as there are further journeys to undertake which I won’t spoil here.
In a non-fiction cinematic landscape that seems firmly dedicated to telling us how much the world sucks, a triumphant story of the human (and animal) spirit is a refreshing tonic. It’s one of those rare documentaries where a narrative adaptation would almost diminish the story because Felipe’s ride is already documented so well that there’s honestly no superior way to showcase it. Do yourself a favour and take that journey yourself at a theatre near you.
9.5/10
The Long Rider screens theatrically across Canada beginning July 8