War Pony

Set in and around the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, War Pony follows two young members of the Oglala Lakota community in their daily struggle to make something of their lives despite the circumstances. First-time feature directors Gina Gammell and Riley Keough co-wrote the screenplay with two Native Americans from Pine Ridge, whom Keough met as an actress on the set of Andrea Arnold's American Honey (2016). Alongside Arnold's work, Chloé Zhao's films, especially The Rider (2017), feel closely related to this authentic, vibrant and finely crafted double portrait. The non-professional actors in the leading roles are impressive. The story of their characters is told with understanding and respect, without judgment or despair. War Pony won the Camera d'Or, the prize for the best debut, at the Cannes film festival.

"This is a brutally honest look at a community seldom portrayed on screen with care or honesty, with a simple story that may not pack much in terms of plot, but packs a whole lot of authenticity and empathy, with a stellar cast of mostly first-time actors." - Slash Film