Riders of the Mist (2015)
‘Riders of the Mist’ is an independently funded documentary about the personal journey of director Roopa Barua as she revisits a century-old bareback pony racing tradition in the state of Assam, India. The ponies are free-grazing and live in the riverine islands of the Brahmaputra Valley. They come and participate in the annual racing event of a colonial era planters club in Jorhat, Assam. This documentary is a portrayal of the races as they unfold, the jockeys and their lives and these ponies that become part of the tradition every year. The heavy mist that hovers over Jorhat during this time of the year is a fitting backdrop to this quirky phenomenon that has a fleeting presence for a few days every year and is gone almost as soon as it arrives.
English and Assamese with English Subtitles
Awards won by Riders of the Mist
1. Riders of the Mist won the Best Documentary Award at the Indian Film Festival in Houston.
2. Riders of the Mist shared the Special Jury award with the documentary My friend Husain at the Nashik International Film festival.
3. Riders of the Mist has been shortlisted as one of the Top Ten Documentaries to watch in India for 2015 by the popular movie blogging site Longlivecinema.com
10 Indian Documentaries You Must Watch In 2015
http://longlivecinema.com/10-indian-documentaries-you-must-watch-in-2015/embed/#?secret=swvwGtrIlq
4. Riders of the Mist was part of the Winny Awards tour by the Equus Film Festival which takes the film through several North American premier equestrian events.