In the cinéma vérité documentary Bitterbrush, Hollyn and Colie, two women in their early twenties do their jobs. Because they are range riders, their job is to move into a spartan cabin high in the remote mountains of eastern Idaho and collect cattle pasturing in the heights. Over several months, the two of them, on horseback and aided by a few trained dogs, find and herd 500-600 head of cattle.
This is LITERALLY not their first rodeo, and we quickly see that Hollyn and Colie are already seasoned, skilled and resourceful. These are two very young women alone on an isolated mountain and responsible for hundreds of valuable animals – and they face no situation that confounds them. We also see that range riding is hard, hard work. And it’s even harder in a snow storm.
As do any co-workers, Hollyn and Colie shoot the breeze. Their hopes and dreams and future plans are vague, along the lines of “If I won the lottery“, until one development forces more focus.
For those of us not in the cattle industry, the cattle-herding ability of the dogs is a revelation.
Technically, this is a workplace documentary. All the gals do on camera is go about their daily work, but the novelty of that work and the rapturous setting make the leisurely pace of Bitterbrush surprisingly riveting. This is director Emelie Mahdavian’s second feature, and it’s damn good.
The location, in high Rocky Mountain valleys, is stunning. Cinematographers Derek Howard and Alejandro Mejia take full advantage.
Sensibility alert: this film is about the livestock industry, and horses and cows are not treated as suburban pets.
Bitterbrush is streaming on Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu and redbox.
