Fishing on horseback
A film by Sophie Bruneau and Marc-Antoine Roudil
Evocation of an encounter between man, sea, horse and wind.
Between sky and sea, three fishermen ride the waves, half sea horses, half pegasus.
1993 / 13' / 35mm / Black and white / Dolby SR
Photography : Pascal Provot-Sethon
Editing : Philippe Boucq
Sound : Pierre Mertens
Original Music : Philippe Cam
Additional music : Costin Miereanu, Michel Portal
Mixing : Thomas Gauder
Executive producers : Marc-Antoine Roudil and Giovanni Cioni
Co-producer : Christine Pireaux
A coproduction Qwazi qWazi films and Wallonie Image Production with the support of the Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel de la Communauté française de Belgique and the participation of the Studio l'Equipe and Arte Belgique.
First shown in Belgium on Sunday 27th of June 1993 in UGC Acropole, Brussels
First broadcasted on ARTE on Thursday 3rd of February 1994 at 7.30 PM
International sales and distribution : Alter Ego Films
Awarded in the following festivals :
- Gold Mikeldi Prize in Bilbao's International short films and documentary films festival (Spain 1993)
- Silver Mikeldi Prize in Bilbao's International short films and documentary film festival (Spain 1993)
- Ministry of Culture Prize in Bratislava Film Festival (Slovakia, 1995)
- Carrena Prize for the best direction in Candas Asturias Festival (Spain, 1993)
- Heritage Prize in Mons International short film festival (Belgium, 1994)
- Award for best photography in Media 10-10 Festival (Belgium, Namur, 199
Selected in the following festivals :
- Filmer à tout prix (Brussels, Belgium, 1993)
- Mannheim international film festival (Germany, 1993)
- Okomedia's International Ecological film festival (Freiburg, Germany, 1993)
- Toulon's International sea film festival (France, 1993)
- Dei Popoli Festival (Firenze, Italy, 1993)
- London's Film Festival (England, 1993)
- Rotterdam International Film Festival (Holland, 1994)
- Brussels International Film Festival (Belgium, 1994)
- Festival du film pour éveiller les regards (Aubervilliers, France, 1994)
- Festival Côté Court (Saint Denis, France, 1994)
- Festival Image de Film (Chalon-sur-Saône, France, 1994)Sydney International Film Festival (Australia, 1994)
- Munich International Film Festival (Germany, 1994)
- Augsburg Short film festival (Germany, 1994)
- Potsdam Film festival (Germany, 1994)
- Cracow International short film festival (Poland, 1994)
- Montreal World Film Festival (Canada, 1994)
- Cork Film Festival (Ireland, 1994)
- Terme di Montecatini International video film festival (Italy, 1994)
- etc...
Télérama n°2298 – 28th of January to 04th of February 1998
A Belgian documentary by Marc-Antoine Roudil and Sophie Bruneau
Not one word of commentary. Just a strange and offbeat music that covers 10 minutes of superb grey shaded images and the seagull's calls at the seaside. "Pêcheurs à cheval" (Fishing on horseback) is a dazzling postcard-documentary. The waves are throwing their foam on the shore bathed with a silvery light. Driven by a man perched on their back, heavy horses are pulling fishing nets in the salty water. Their shanks are massive and steady. Their round croups are moving gently in the waves, their muscles are rolling under their strong chests. Their large hooves are treading on the sand, leaving some ephemeral tracks. This purely aesthetic essay is made of slow motions and close-ups. It is a final tribute to the last six fishermen who fish on horseback still working on the Belgian coasts. Magnificent and strange.
Flore Geffroy
