Talking 'Of Girls and Horses' with Director Monika Treut

German director Monika Treut's new feature, Of Girls and Horses, is an unusual, enthralling film that not only captures female beauty but depicts the beguiling allure of the equine species. In addition, and key to the movie's center, is portraying that curious and playful, yet scary and confusing time in an LGBT person's life when he/she begin realizing they're different from others in terms of whom they desire. The horses in Treut's story become vital in the sexual awakening of the two young female characters (played with great realism by Cedi Chuh & Alissa Wilms).

"Horses are really like a mirror to people because horses are extremely sensitive and they mirror what you do as a human being," Treut explains. "If you are insecure, the horse immediately mirrors this back."

Fascinated with horses

Treut, who is known for making documentaries as well as narrative films, chose an in-between approach with her new offering. "I really tried to take the location into account and what the actors were bringing from their lives, to improvise as well because we had a very strict shooting schedule and a tiny budget and a tiny crew so I really had to draw from real life. And part of it is really documentary style and I really was going for the relationship between the girls and the horses as well. I really wanted to capture the essence of the animals, the specialty as horses."

The filmmaker's fascination with horses began when she was a youth and there are autobiographical elements in the work.

"I was a horse girl when I was young," Treut shares, "And I spent a lot of time in the local stables, which was a breeding stable for Welsh ponies. I was interacting with other girls my age and girls between the ages of eight and 16. Needless to say there was a lot of attraction between the girls, not only between the girls and the horses but between the girls as well. It was that time of puberty, insecurity... it was a fascinating time and the horses were playing an important part in this as well. The intensive contact with the horses and ponies and the girls of my age gave me self-confidence. The physicality and energy of riding, grooming and taming the shy and strong 'prey animals' had its own eroticism that charmed us and kept us grounded."

Non-traditional approach

In the film, popular German TV star Ceci Schmitz-Chuh plays Alex, a rebellious 16-year-old, whose troubled behavior has resulted in her being sent to intern at a horse ranch run by riding instructor extraordinaire, Nina (Vanida Karun), a lesbian taking a break from her girlfriend (Ellen Grell). There's a definite attraction between mentor and farmhand but Nina won't allow it to go further. Soon a wealthy young equestrian (Wilms), closer to Alex's age, arrives and after a bumpy start, the two girls begin to get to know one another.

Treut places a refreshingly non-traditional stamp on the coming-of-age indie. And casting was an important factor, beginning with Nina, who teaches Alex more about herself than she expected. "I chose Vanida to play Nina, because I knew her from way back and I knew that she has a wonderful relationship with horses. You can feel that there is a very close rapport between the rider and the horse with Vanida."

For the other two actresses, it came down to chemistry, Treut imparts. "I was looking at tons of videos of young actresses and I was looking at their skills and some had riding skills. And I did a casting session with about 10 young actresses and immediately these two girls walked through the door and I was pretty certain they were the right ones. My next question was will the chemistry work? So we went to a horse farm and I brought them together with horses and just watched them interacting with the horses and with each other. And it was a perfect fit."

Other significant elements came together including finding the right location in Northern Germany as well the horses themselves. "We found this wonderful farm and the horses there are very special. They're very calm, very relaxed. And they even enjoy being on camera. That was another wonderful phenomenon. We didn't have to drag the horses from the meadow. They were actually waiting in the morning, lined up like they were saying, 'hey, I want to be on camera."

A trailblazing director

The helmer is no stranger to LGBT-themed subject matter. In the late '80s she explored transsexualism at a time when it certainly wasn't vogue.

"I like to do things earlier than others. I was good friends with Annie Sprinkle, the ex porn star. Annie lived in New York when I lived in New York. And we became good friends. Annie had the first kind of support group for female-to-male transsexuals and that was back in the late '80s. And she invited me to come to the support group and I was just totally blown away. And then I had another friend in San Francisco who I knew as a lesbian and friends told me, 'Anita is going to become Max now.' And that was the first portrait I did in the late '80s called "Max," which later was included in an (anthology) series of short films called "Female Misbehavior." And Annie Sprinkle was in there (with the doc short, "Annie.")

Treut's debut film was the 1985 documentary, "Seduction: The Cruel Woman," a film that sheds light on the world of sadomasochism. She's made quite a number of "queer" films over the years and her work has attracted a loyal, if sometimes, fringe following.

As far as the target audience for "Of Girls and Horses," she contemplates, "I don't see it necessarily as aimed at LGBT people, it's really a wider subject. It's really about the problems of finding your own identity and getting out of teenage trouble. The main character is obviously a troubled young woman. Of course it's multiplied with LGBT people, finding your identity. But for heterosexual people, to a certain degree, it's a similar problem." A provocative statement from a bold director. And one that deserves to be reflected on.

Of Girls and Horses is available on digital platforms including iTunes, DVD and WolfeOnDemand.com.