The horseman

A engaging and exotic man–nature documentary that is sure to capture audiences in many countries. Beautifully filmed by Peter Gerdehag and sensitively edited by Tell Johansson.

He lives for horses, he lives with horses, he works with horses and he just about dies when he is forced to leave his horses because of a storm that turns his life upside down.

This is the story of Stig-Anders, a solitary man in a remote village in Småland, the ultimate hardship area for a truly old-fashioned Swedish farmer.
 
Stig-Anders life is guided by the Good Lord and a deep sense of tradition. Living alone on the family farm in Råskog, he is the bearer of old farming patterns, long forgotten on neighbouring farms. Everywhere there are horses. Horses working the fields, horses relaxing in the cow pastures, horses hauling timber from the forest he so meticulously keeps as if it were a park rather than natures own wilderness.
 
But a violent storm turns his quiet life into drama. He struggles through the blinding snow to bring in the last hay. The forest turns into chaos. Stig-Anders wakes up in a hospital. Feet badly scarred by frostbite. Almost in apathy. Without his horses, the horseman seems to have nothing to live for.

Like an angel out of the sky comes Madelene, who as a child learnt to ride on Stig-Anders farm. She has heard of his misfortune and decided to help him come back to his life as the incredible horseman.

Photo and idea:
Peter Gerdehag

Script and editor:
Tell Johansson

Producer:
Johan Miderberg

Executive Producer:
Malcolm Dixelius

Production:
Collaborative production between Gerdehag Photography AB and Sveriges Television AB - financial support by Filminstitutet (Filmconsultant Tove Torbiörnsson)

Distributor:
Folkets bio

Time:
84 min

Original film copies on:
Digital Betacam / DVCAM / DVD
All available with English subtitles.

International premiere:
2007

Swedish premiere:
November 2006