Among Horses and Men

The American state of Nevada has large herds of wild horses. Local ranches capture and break them for periodic auctions. One of them is part of the Northern Nevada Correctional Centre.
Filmmaker Marjoleine Boonstra followed a group of young inmates in the last three months of lengthy prison sentences. Before returning to society, they are participating in a special project that allows them to capture, tame and train wild horses. The close contact with the animals continually confronts the men with themselves.
Marjoleine Boonstra depicts the learning process of these ‘tough guys’. Trainer Hank: 'We're not out here to babysit. We want to develop these guys, let them learn something, let them do something.' The detainees are prepared to face life and, like the horses that will get a new owner after the training, resign themselves to their fate. The interaction with the horses bridges a gap. Between the inside, where they have to win the trust of an animal, but also of their fellow-captives, and the outside, where they will have to recover themselves.