Volte

With the cadence of hooves and heavy breathing in the background, it’s as if the Polish Zuzia and her horse are one at the beginning of this coming-of-age film. In slow motion, their hair and mane are in rhythm, and for a moment it’s only about the two of them. But then this subtle harmony is replaced by hard reality. Zuzia and her teammates train obsessively to perform their acrobatic stunts on running horses. As equestrian vaulters, the girls must be elegant, flexible and strong—with the older girls lifting the younger ones above their heads. This observational and creatively filmed portrait about sacrifice, frustration, physical limits and endurance shows how the team must finally accept that Zuzia’s position has become untenable. She has simply grown up and is now too heavy to lift.