Synopsis

There’s always been a strong horse culture in the suburb Ballymun and Lorna and her family are a part of it. It's Lorna's last summer break and she dreams about becoming a farrier. This is a poetic coming-of-age film, a story of survival, relationships, horses and dreams.

Director

• 

  Annika Karlsson
  

  Taxidancing (2012)

  In 1992, we saw a film called Into the West. It takes place in Ballymun outside of Dublin, and is the story of two Irish travellers and a magic horse. In early 2000s we went to live in Ireland and of course we went to Ballymun and experienced the special horse culture in the suburb. We went to the container stables, met a lot of young people that cared for the horses—and realized the importance of their existence. We went back many times.

  A few years ago, we heard that there were new laws and restrictions regarding the horses and that the green areas were disappearing. We decided to capture the changing Ballymun before it was too late. At that time, we met Lorna and her horse Big Foot and decided to tell their story.

  There has been made many music videos and photo sessions from the suburb Ballymun, mostly focusing on the problems, young lads dressed in tracksuits on horseback, living in the outskirts of the society- and that is what we wanted to avoid. What if we instead focus on the positive aspects, like the meaning and the purpose of the horses. How they can strengthen the bonds in a community, in a family - that is what we wanted to capture in this film.

• 

  Jessica Karlsson
  

  Taxidancing (2012)

  In 1992, we saw a film called Into the West. It takes place in Ballymun outside of Dublin, and is the story of two Irish travellers and a magic horse. In early 2000s we went to live in Ireland and of course we went to Ballymun and experienced the special horse culture in the suburb. We went to the container stables, met a lot of young people that cared for the horses—and realized the importance of their existence. We went back many times.

  A few years ago, we heard that there were new laws and restrictions regarding the horses and that the green areas were disappearing. We decided to capture the changing Ballymun before it was too late. At that time, we met Lorna and her horse Big Foot and decided to tell their story.

  There has been made many music videos and photo sessions from the suburb Ballymun, mostly focusing on the problems, young lads dressed in tracksuits on horseback, living in the outskirts of the society- and that is what we wanted to avoid. What if we instead focus on the positive aspects, like the meaning and the purpose of the horses. How they can strengthen the bonds in a community, in a family - that is what we wanted to capture in this film.

Review

Two cultures were the symbols of Ballymun, Tower and Horse. However, there is no family breeding horses nowadays and the ‘Tower’ will be demolished soon. Lorna wearing a sweat suit, wandering around the village sitting on a horse without a saddle, never adapts to the neighborhood and it’s weirdly coupled with the scenes of home video showing kids on horses in greenish spaces in the grey apartment complex.
‘Tower’ was once an honor for Ballymun and at the same time it has the most brilliant and happiest memories for Lorna family. With mother who was not sick then and father who had a job, Lorna had so much memories there with their best friend horse ‘Bigfoot.’ Just like the Ballymun area that has to find a new identity caused by the demolition of ‘Tower,’ Lorna and Lorna’s family are about to prove themselves they are beings that can maintain their lives, concentrate on their own dreams, beyond the harsh reality. Therefore, the Lorna’s family is not in the state of unhappiness nor depression. The life never goes as we want to, but the family members band together by a medium of their dreams, and encourage themselves as well as each other. Dream, just like life, goes on like this. Lorna’s dream for a farrier is overlapped with the figure of ‘Tower’, standing dangerously half demolished, but at the same time, is overlapped with the unidentifiable shopping mall which will replace the place where the ‘Tower’ cleared. [Kim Min-ju]

Credits

• Director, Editor  Annika Karlsson, Jessica Karlsson
• Producer  Systerskaparna Ab
• Cinematographer  Kate McCullough
• Music  Micael Henriquez
• Sound  Torsten Rundqvist

Contribution & World Sales

• Contribution & World Sales  Annika Karlsson
• E-mail  systerskaparnaab@gmail.com