The moviE
En Selle : The Kyrgyz Ride (2023) - The movie
Since we’ve been back from Kyrgyzstan, we’ve spent some very long hours putting together the videos we took during our expedition. We are very happy to share our 52-minute adventure documentary En Selle, The Kyrgyz Ride is ready to be shared on the big screen! A film by Ashley Parsons & Quentin Boehm (52min). For screening, reach us on ensellevoyage@gmail.com !
Winner Best First Film - Autrans International Festival - Mountain, Cinema & Culture (2023)
SYNOPSIS
Fascinated by the mysteries of the Silk Road, Ashley departs for Kyrgyzstan with a dream: one of galloping across the mythic steppes and Celestial Mountains of Central Asia.
Kyrgyzstan is the natural choice for this adventure. This land, the cradle of horsemanship, draws travelers in with its beauty and nomadic peoples. Accompanied by her partner Quentin, they meet three Kyrgyz stallions, Fidel, Tian and Chai, with whom they’ll share the road to their final destination: Karakol, in the far east of the country, 1000 miles away. Alone, faced with the immensity of the steppe, the team must navigate high-altitude mountain passes, snow, deserts, and rivers to accomplish their expedition.
But the success of this adventure is not only a point on the map — it’s also to see if Ashley and Quentin are capable of creating a deep connection with their horses. After a difficult beginning, a sense of team spirit beings to form. Little by little the path unfurls before them. Together, the stallions and humans become capable of communicating with each through a simple glance, of navigating difficult terrains and integrating into the Kyrgyz nomadic culture.
Narrated by Ashley, this 52-minute film is shot close to the protagonists, giving us a peek into an ancestral way of seeing the world: one where a group of humans and horses discover a timeless land together.