DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING

Horses are magical creatures, or at least I have always thought so. Why are horses so useful in healing humans and their problems? How can horses help us reconnect with our natural ways? This documentary follows 3 retreat participants at an equine retreat center in Kamloops, BC. Equinisity Retreats is run by Liz Mitten Ryan, a world-renowned painter and trainer. Her books on horse psychology and horse wisdom have won 9 awards including the Nautilus award. For more information, please visit the website... equinisityretreats.com

Picture a time when you really felt connected to nature, maybe you were on a hike in the forest, enjoying a beautiful view, swimming in a lake, or sitting in the sun on a warm spring day. Now picture a time when you felt really connected to the community, maybe at school, in class, with friends or family, a time when you felt really heard and appreciated. Now picture a time when you felt disconnected - maybe it was the first day of Quest when you didn’t know anyone yet, maybe when you were in Zoom class online, maybe when you were having a hard time, or when you were stuck inside in Quarantine. Humans have a deep need to connect to ourselves, the natural world, and our community. In my journey in university, I have researched how disconnection is the root cause of many of our modern societal problems. This quest explores ways that we humans connect to ourselves, each other, and nature. We will begin with outlining the history of disconnection, then embark on a journey and learn different strategies and advice for connection from people from all walks of life.

My name is Aleese Holiday, a current senior in high school. I was born and raised in Tahoe and I’ve been skiing since I was two. Over the years, I’ve made almost every mountain in Tahoe my home mountain. Recently, I’ve decided to go rogue and started skiing mountains with no lift access. As a newcomer to Tahoe backcountry skiing, It has come to my attention that there are very few women in the backcountry, so I set out on a journey to discover why. I decided to create this backcountry ski film as a way to inspire more women to explore the outdoors and backcountry ski. Along the way, I have had the chance to interview some of the most influential women in the field and experience exciting backcountry adventures of my own. I hope you enjoy the film!

This video explores the emotional relationship that develops between horses and humans through the lens of non-verbal communication. This includes multiple studies about horses' ability to recognize humans' facial expressions and body language, as well as an interview with Kris Latham, owner of Cheekye Ranch, about her experience with horses and emotion. The video explores what makes horses adept at reading human emotions and why they are used for equine psychotherapy practices.