BUCK: Cindy Meehl (Director) by Emily Knight Courtesy of Cedar Creek Productions DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT I met Buck at one of his clinics eight years ago. In four days, he taught me more about horses than anyone ever had in all the decades I’d been dealing with them. Even more compelling was watching how he could instill the feeling of power in someone when they were afraid and had given up hope, whether it was about their horse or their life. Buck’s personal story, as I came to know it, also deeply resonated with me. How he rose above the violence of his childhood, and applied the hard-learned lessons to training horses humanely and respectfully was profoundly inspirational. Buck has a unique ability to help people reconfigure the way they perceive both horses and humans, and the principles he teaches can become life altering. How he treats and works with these animals reverberates beyond the round pen and the arena. Overcoming a horse’s fear and earning its trust has a lot in common with raising a child or sustaining a relationship. I was inspired to make a film because I felt it was the best way to introduce this charismatic cowboy to the general public and not just “horse people.” It was a huge leap of faith, as I had never made a film before. However, I have always loved John Burroughs’s saying, “Leap, and the net will appear.” It did. It has been a joy and tremendous life lesson to have connected with Buck Brannaman’s unique world; it runs at a different pace and embodies the most fundamental of human values. With my film BUCK, I hope I can share a fraction of what this experience has given to me.
BUCK: Buck Brannaman by Emily Knight Courtesy of Cedar Creek Productions ABOUT THE SUBJECT/CREW BUCK BRANNAMAN (Subject) Buck Brannaman is a prominent advocate of natural horsemanship. He's a widely respected horse gentler whose approach to training a horse has inspired and revolutionized the equestrian world. He travels extensively throughout the US and the world. A mix of mentor, legend and folk hero to the thousands who attend his colt-starting and horsemanship clinics each year, Buck is the inspiration for the novel and feature-film, The Horse Whisperer. Employing techniques learned from Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt, Buck gets riders to understand as much about their horses as possible. He teaches people to understand the horse and where he's coming from and is able, almost instinctually, to inspire trust in both the horse and rider. Buck has co-authored two books, Faraway Horses and Believe. CINDY MEEHL (Director) Cindy Meehl met Buck Brannaman at one of his horse clinics in 2003. His horsemanship and skills were exceptional, and once Cindy learned about Buck’s life, she was inspired to make her first documentary to tell his story and share his unique approach to horses and people. She founded Cedar Creek Productions, LLC in 2008 in order to make this film. Cindy’s background is in fashion and art. She created and ran her own label, “Sasha, Cindy and Phil”, as well as “Cindy Hughes Designs”. She has designed couture eveningwear that sold across the country. Her clothes have been showcased in the windows of Bergdorf Goodman and featured in film and television as well as magazines and print campaigns. Cindy studied art at Marymount Manhattan College and the National Academy of Art in NYC. In the 1990s, she began fine art painting, which led to her interest in photography and film. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, writer Brian Meehl, 2 daughters, 4 dogs and 2 horses.
CEDAR CREEK PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH MOTTO PICTURES AND BACK ALLIE PRODUCTIONS A FILM BY CINDY MEEHL " BUCK " Cindy Meehl 2010 Categories: U.S. Documentary Competition The Audience Award: Documentary was presented to Buck, directed by Cindy Meehl, for her story about the power of non-violence and master horse trainer Buck Brannaman, who uses principles of respect and trust to tame horses and inspire their human counterparts. A living legend in the horse world, Buck Brannaman was the inspiration for The Horse Whisperer. For this true cowboy, horses are a mirror of the human soul. Reared by an abusive father, Buck eschews violence. By teaching people to communicate with horses through instinct, not punishment, he frees the spirit of the horse and its human comrade. Crisscrossing the world with Zenlike wisdom, Buck promulgates grace in the bond between man and horse. The animal-human relationship becomes a perfect metaphor for meeting the challenges of daily life, whether they consist of raising kids, running a business, or finding your flow with a dance partner. What is extraordinary about Buck Brannaman, the man, leaps off the screen in this strikingly cinematic film by first-time director Cindy Meehl. Part guru, part psychologist, the adult Buck, who was once a beaten kid, has now beaten the odds. Buck Brannaman could transform your troubled horse. Buck the movie may transform your soul.
BUCK (AUDIENCE AWARD: DOCUMENTARY): FILM CLIPS: " People Problems" - " Lost Protector" - " Kelly and Julie" -