BardiBardi

Boys and men in central Morocco are initiated into the centuries-old equestrian ritual Tbourida, while the horses seem to tell a story of their own.

In central Morocco, a group of horse riders moves through a landscape of saints’ shrines, wheat fields, old cities and rural communities to take part in Tbourida, a centuries-old equestrian ritual. The documentary begins with two brothers who want to become accomplished riders, then opens into a portrait of several boys and men as they are initiated into the tradition. Teams gallop forward in formation and fire gunpowder into the air. Across several years, the film shows the care and brotherhood behind the spectacle, as well as the horses, which seem to tell a story of their own. Everyday identities give way to performance, with fiction and reality blending in a closed community shaped by handing down knowledge and faith.

Story written by Evenitto from TMDB, the film catalogue and the cinemas' notes