Once I started watching it, I could not stop. It feels like you are there with them experiencing the excitement, the drama, the pain, and the adrenaline of the race. The documentary lets the participants tell the story as they are doing it. You get a raw feel for being right there with them, and each step of the way the health of the horses and the people were paramount to the officials.
10 Reviews
I love horses, animals but this is more
braquecubism28 November 2019
So mishaps abound. human injury misdiagnosed- 1 severe injury, bec of bucking horse. Seems, these Mongolian horses can be wild- Disturbing. 1 horse, limping ridden with fracture; experience horse woman should have known, & called for help sooner.
This Horse race is a wild adventure. I don't know what it costs to enter, bec this has to be expensive to co-ordinate, even in Mongolia. no mention of anything beside glory to the winner. A kind of re-enactment of historic horse run.
The worlds toughest horse race from a unique perspective
jameshubbard-7955420 August 2018
Having been fortunate enough to experience this event as member of the crew I can say Ivo Marloh has really captured the spirit of this gruelling race and the stories of the riders, all from the unique perspective of a rider!
If you are a rider, adventurer, explorer, sportsperson or traveller make sure you see it!
Raw and Real
rachelannland20 August 2018
Ivo Marloh has done a splendid job documenting the World's Longest Horse Race, the Mongol Derby. Having completed this race in 2017, I can honestly say how well this film shows the true challenges of the adventure. The competitors all show grit just to make it to the starting line. Those that actually ride all of the 1000km and cross the finish line in one piece are few and far between. Being able to follow some of these brave men and women along their journey in All the Wild Horses is priceless. I loved the film and how it captured the iron will of Devan Horn, the compassion of Erik Cooper, and the honest horsemanship of Monde Kanyana. Well done Ivo!
Beautiful and Entertaining - Full Marks All Round
t-xy1 May 2018
This a beautifully made film following the riders in a roughly 1000 km distance race across the wide open steppes of Mongolia. And they are riding a succession of native horses, no bigger than the average child's pony in most Western countries, and nowhere near as well schooled and behaved as most riding horses we Westerners are used to.
The film is edited from footage shot during three races (if memory serves) in different years and presented as one race. However, this fact is mentioned and it really doesn't make the film any less interesting or enjoyable.
The race is ridden in stages, the riders staying with native families in their gers overnight before continuing their adventure on a fresh horse in the morning. The films gives a little bit of background information about the various participant - horsepeople from all corners of the world: There are the two Irish racing jockeys, a South African horse whisperer, an American professional girl, an easy going Dutchman and various other characters. Some are in it to win it, others for the experience alone. But make no mistake, this is not about the prize (any prizes are in kind, no big cash sums here), it's about the adventure.
All participants have to deal with various setbacks, some little mishaps, others more serious accidents with injuries. After all, the horses they get to ride are the half wild animals of the Mongolian herders, which live wild and roam the endless grasslands for much of the year, and which are rounded up only a few days before they are needed for the race.
Much of the film is filmed from horseback, the filmmaker having participated in the race several times. The moment when the horses start bucking and the screen goes black, followed by the one single spoken word that surely would escape every seasoned horseman/woman in this situation (the f-word, what else?) is epic. And made for a huge laugh at the screening where I was lucky enough to see the film.
It's really worth seeing this on the big screen, the wide open spaces of Mongolia are absolutely mindblowing. This is a stunning film, narrated with a good sense of humour and a goodly measure of compassion by a man who's been there and done it all himself. Several times over. Loved it when I saw it, will definitely try and watch it again.
The film is edited from footage shot during three races (if memory serves) in different years and presented as one race. However, this fact is mentioned and it really doesn't make the film any less interesting or enjoyable.
The race is ridden in stages, the riders staying with native families in their gers overnight before continuing their adventure on a fresh horse in the morning. The films gives a little bit of background information about the various participant - horsepeople from all corners of the world: There are the two Irish racing jockeys, a South African horse whisperer, an American professional girl, an easy going Dutchman and various other characters. Some are in it to win it, others for the experience alone. But make no mistake, this is not about the prize (any prizes are in kind, no big cash sums here), it's about the adventure.
All participants have to deal with various setbacks, some little mishaps, others more serious accidents with injuries. After all, the horses they get to ride are the half wild animals of the Mongolian herders, which live wild and roam the endless grasslands for much of the year, and which are rounded up only a few days before they are needed for the race.
Much of the film is filmed from horseback, the filmmaker having participated in the race several times. The moment when the horses start bucking and the screen goes black, followed by the one single spoken word that surely would escape every seasoned horseman/woman in this situation (the f-word, what else?) is epic. And made for a huge laugh at the screening where I was lucky enough to see the film.
It's really worth seeing this on the big screen, the wide open spaces of Mongolia are absolutely mindblowing. This is a stunning film, narrated with a good sense of humour and a goodly measure of compassion by a man who's been there and done it all himself. Several times over. Loved it when I saw it, will definitely try and watch it again.
She rode n injured horse with a broken leg in the race!
stefanieg-718875 May 2019
How can an experienced horsewoman not identify that the horse unwilling to go forward has a broken leg? I'm severely disappointed that a horse got extremely injured and had to be put down because this woman wanted to win the race and pushed this injured animal. Disgusting to watch.
Takes you on a ride from the start!
travisjpharmd21 August 2018
Superbly done! I felt captivated from the start. This film does a great job of following race contestants, and feeling connected to such an otherworldly place. I felt like a virtual participant in a great adventure. I was fully entertained from start to finish. What more can you ask of a film? Mongolia is now a destination on my bucket list.
What a pathetic mess!
MovieIQTest11 February 2020
Watching these amateurs who dared to call themselves professional riders riding on the Mongolian horses was such a pain. These men and women were just a bunch of jokers and jerks to race this longest derby in Mongolia, so painful and so boring to watch. I just couldn't believe most of the reviewers before me would high five this documentary film so blindly with praises. These riders not only tortured themselves but also abused those Mongolian horses. These foreigners came all over the foreign countries must be loaded to have such a enormous logistic support to back up this horse race. I don't think that the Mongolian government was actually enthusiastic to sponsor this pointless entertainment for the foreigners other than using this opportunity to lure more tourists to visit their country.
An absolutely brilliant film
pacieplak21 August 2018
An astonishingly beautiful and amazingly done film. Maloh manages to capture the drama, tension and ambition of the race but also the vulnerability of some of the participants. Always subtle, he hints at the different experiences that led them to take up the challenge. The interactions between the racers and Mongolians are marked by polite awkwardness, which Maloh's camera catches with subtlety but without judgement. It's great to see a film that moves fast and keeps you on the edge of your seat but, at the same time, manages to truly engage with its characters and give them time to develop before your eyes. Brilliant.
I cringed, I cried, I cheered!
erinmountford21 August 2018
'All the Wild Horses' is one of those titles I may have not paid much attention to as I'm usually not that interested in documentaries about horses or racing. However, it had been recommended to me so I decided to watch it and judge for myself. This film is so much more than just a story about the Mongol Derby. What an adventure! Shot in the vast and rugged landscapes of Mongolia, the film follows the ambitions and fortunes of a group of international riders as they compete against each other to win, but this is not a race for amateurs. It's dangerous, the conditions are tough and the horses are wild. People get seriously injured. Why on earth would anyone want to do this? And then I was hooked. The film isn't so much about the race as it is about human endurance, compassion and camaraderie. You care about what happens to the riders, you feel their disappointment, their elation and their pain. Beautifully shot and thrilling enough to keep your attention from start to finish, this film is a gem to watch. Highly recommended!
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