“One of the things that raised my attention the most here was the fact that two elements that, in principle, had nothing to do with each other were put together: the passion for horses and Vera’s presence during World War II. The director somehow managed to make a parallel out of this.”

“It felt like Vera had lived two lives. In Croatia before the war, before her whole family was deported to Auschwitz, and then in Britain and Italy during and after the war. It seemed like her love for horses helped her through this painful transition, and then gave her a meaning in life. The director’s approach showed her respect for Vera: she portrayed a woman of great strength, intellect and humor.”

“It’s true, but it feels somewhat more than just one element giving strength to the other. They were actually put in parallel during the editing, as in the scene in which the images show the horse giving birth while the narration insists on the pain of World War II. It’s like they had been put together as a contrast of death and life, the war and the birth.”

“I agree. But often, such an approach falls into a bit of pathos, it becomes too obvious. Here, it works out very well, maybe because it’s such an unlikely combination.”

“It might be. I think the pathos issue is avoided not only because of the difference between the two main topics, but also because we are never compelled to identify with Vera. She is never shown as a hero or a model for someone. She is seen from the outside, and even if what she is saying might be quite sentimental, the director shows it in the same pretty objective way that she shows the birth of a foal.”

“And it is also the simple narrative structure which brings out the force of the story. Melandri alternates between landscape shots, the present Vera, and photographs from the past. Thus, she manages to tell the story of a whole life without overcomplicating the narrative. It was a real pleasure to watch this portrayal.”

“Some films can dare to be simple, can’t they? This one doesn’t really have an extraordinary theme (just a lady and her horses), but the director manages to create a contrast that wasn’t there for her to pick. She creates her own theme (the relationship between the war and the present passion for horses). Its very cinematic, to see nature and make it your own, creating an interesting world out of everyday life.”

By Mara Klein and Bruno Carmelo