The documentary follows a man trekking from Calgary to São Paulo on a horse
Reviews and recommendations are fair and products are selected independently. Postmedia may earn affiliate commissions from purchases made via the links on this page.
You can fly from Calgary to São Paulo in about 14 hours. Alternatively, you can do what Felipe Masetti Leite did and ride a horse. It took him two years, but it's a story of hell.
Leite was born in Brazil, but he emigrated to Canada with his parents at the age of nine. In a new film by Canadian director Sean Sistana, Late, inspired by Aimé Félix Tschiffely's solo ride from Argentina to New York in 1925, decided to go south on a similar trek. In a riding circle, a trip of 1,000 miles or more constitutes a "long ride". This is certainly eligible.
Leite first went through months of training and planning, but he decided to put a hold on the question of how to cross the Panama Canal until he got there. It almost proves his redo, as the car accident, colic, rough border officials, extreme weather, and then the jealous hotel owner seemed to be trying to kill him.
For clarity, our guy is not trying to recreate the journey as Tschiffely did. He is willing to accept any support provided until he replaces his horse when injured (one can ride and the other for a pack). And even though he doesn't want to be with a drug trafficker, he sometimes learns that you need to bend your morals to the situation at hand.
When I started watching this movie, I didn't realize that the late long ride actually took place almost 10 years ago. There is an extended post to understand what happened after that first trip. This ensures that the film is of sprint to finish quality, out of sync with the rest of the pace. But it's still an exciting and moving story, and much more fun than listening to someone's problem at the airport.
Long Riders will open in Toronto on June 24th and in Calgary on July 1st. Other cities follow suit. Cisterna and Leite will be showing at Cineplex Yonge / Dundas at 7pm. June 26th and June 29th.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Sign up to receive daily top articles from National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. By clicking the
Thank you for registering.
A welcome email has been sent. If you don't see it, check your junk folder.
The next issue of NPPosted will arrive in your inbox shortly.
