DocFest 2013 Entry #1: “Escaramuza: Riding From the Heart” and “Elena”

Escaramuza: Riding From the Heart

By now I have learned a thing or two about the joys movies can bring when entering the theatre having zero expectations. Most importantly, I’ve learned that it’s always best to just allow a film’s direction to go wherever it pleases and not try and will it to veer down the path I’d rather see it go. Inevitably, trying to control a film’s direction as if it were my very own Choose Your Own Adventure book has always led to disappointing viewing experiences. Even if the movie is exceptional, the moment you start wishing it to go a certain way the end result will be failure. Take for example last night, when I went to see Bill Yahraus‘ latest documentary.

I knew nothing of the film’s subject matter, Mexican-American women known as escaramuza charras who compete in a rodeo sport that involves riding horses in intricate criss-cross patterns while donning some flashy hand sewn outfits. Yet, for some reason watching a documentary on a subject entirely new to me wasn’t enough to satisfy my cinematic jollies. I wanted intense drama. I wanted laugh-out-loud moments. I wanted eccentric individuals acting odd. Instead, what I got was an honest look at these women’s passion of this time-honored traditional Mexican sport. Why that didn’t satisfy me, who knows.