"It was about the irrepressible, pied-piper spirit of the barmaid (Jan) who bred the foal and persuaded others to share her outlandish dream; it was about a defiant and exuberant journey into an elite and wealthy world and the pride it gave the village to prove themselves the equal of anyone there. Above all, it was about the extraordinary bond the characters forged with this beautiful animal that seemed almost like something from a fable, a phoenix rising from the ashes. That’s probably what moved me most; I just desperately wanted to tell that story." Filmmaker Louise Osmond on why she directed "Dark Horse"



Just a short newsletter this week to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I made a new sub-heading on the Drama Movies site for my continuing series, The Horse in Cinema. All the titles reviewed will be listed there for easy reference.

I also plan to write another series of reviews that explore the year 1969 in American film. Although a number of film historians rate 1939 as the greatest year in American film ("The Wizard of Oz" and "Gone With the Wind" were released that year), I think the movies made at the end of the sixties expanded the boundaries of the art form and paved the way for a more adult cinema in the seventies.

The Golden Globe Awards happen this Sunday, January 7th. A number of actors and actresses plan to wear black in solidarity with women who have been sexually harassed/assaulted. I think we can also plan on hearing acceptance speeches that address the issue. There is an Australian film called "Brilliant Lies" (1996), starring Anthony LaPaglia and Gia Carides, that is about sexual harassment in the workplace. It is disturbing but worth watching.

Here's the latest article from the Drama Movies site at BellaOnline.com.

Dark Horse Film Review
Winner of the Audience Award for documentary filmmaking at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, "Dark Horse" tells the captivating story of a champion racehorse raised by the working-class people of a Welsh village.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art61992.asp

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Angela K. Peterson, Drama Movies Editor
http://dramamovies.bellaonline.com

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