War Pony

THURSDAY 12th Oct

€9 / €7 (conc.)

Synopsis

Gina Gammell and Riley Keough’s debut follows the interlocking stories of two Lakota boys growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Bill (Jojo Bapteise Whiting), at twenty-three, just wants to make something of himself and is determined to hustle his way to a better life through odd jobs and get-rich-quick schemes. Twelve-year-old Matho (LaDainian Crazy Thunder) is desperate for approval from his young father. A series of impulsive decisions turns Matho’s life upside down, and he finds himself unequipped to deal with the harsh realities of the adult world. ‘War Pony’ is a tender portrait of two boys’ troubled passage into adulthood and a deserving winner of the top prize in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard.

Festival & Awards

Winner, Caméra d’Or, Gina Gammell, Riley Keough, Cannes Film Festival, 2022
International Film Festival Rotterdam, 2023
South by Southwest Film Festival, 2023

Quotes

​​​​★★★★ “…. there is in their lives something genuinely uplifting and heroic.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

★★★★ “This Caméra d’Or winner (for best debut feature at Cannes) is a keenly observed, subtle, and challenging drama about a corner of society never included in the American dream, one that reveals both the spirit and longing found there..” – Hilary White, Irish Independent.

Film Info

114 mins | USA | 2022 | 15A

Director:
Gina Gammell, Riley Keough

Cast:
Iona Red Bear, LaDainian Crazy Thunder, Jojo Bapteise Whiting