The Hamptons International Film Festival and Guild Hall have joined forces once again for a SummerDocs series, to begin on Saturday at 8 p.m. with “Buck movie” at Guild Hall.
The film is an examination of the life of a man who developed a great gift for communicating with horses through the focus and empathy he himself needed to overcome a difficult childhood. Buck Brannaman lost his adoring mother in childhood and was left in the care of an abusive father. It wasn’t until a foster family took over his care that he regained the love and support that would help him find a career helping emotionally wounded animals.
The film’s producer, Julie Goldman, a 15-year veteran of documentary production, said on Friday, “Buck is really inspiring. He transformed all of us. He’s just this unique guy. His work and what he does is really transformative.”
If the story sounds somewhat familiar, it is because a novel and a movie were made about Mr. Brannaman’s line of work — “The Horse Whisperer.” While the fictional tale has nothing to do with Mr. Brannaman’s actual life story, Robert Redford did employ him as a trainer on the set of the movie and incorporated many of his techniques in it.
The project was brought to Ms. Goldman’s attention by Cindy Meehl, a first-time filmmaker, but, Ms. Goldman said, once she saw the initial footage she was hooked. “Once we became involved we thought the ideal way to move forward was to put together a great team to support her as a filmmaker.”
More than 300 hours of footage ended up being shot for a 90-minute feature. “There was so much rich material and many tough decisions to be made,” Ms. Goldman said. “Buck movie” was selected as the audience favorite at the Sundance Film Festival and will open on June 17 in New York and California before a wider release.
“I did not go into it hugely enthusiastic,” David Nugent, the head of programming for the Hamptons festival, said. “But a producer friend came out loving it. And I love animals, but I didn’t know what to think about it.”
Once he saw it at Sundance, however, “I was really amazed at how a man can communicate with an animal as big and complex as a horse. I was so moved by this film.” In the buzz that accompanies any film festival, he said, “all you talk about is what did you think of this or that. I really don’t know anybody who didn’t like this film.”
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