North American Premiere
Subjected to loud noises, violent abrasions, water dousing, and unpredictable conditions, the horses of an Israeli police unit face harsh conditioning in the West Bank. With a semi-documentary approach, including the use of treated archival footage, newcomer Alina Orlov visualizes the desensitization process used for controlling these majestic animals, begging questions of how and why certain tactics are enacted and enforced beyond training.
Community Partner
Canada/USA/Israel
2024
In Hebrew with English subtitles
Animal cruelty
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Cinematography
Alina Orlov
Editor
Alina Orlov
ANIM
Alina Orlov
Music
Patrick O’Shea
Alina Orlov
Alina Orlov, born in 1990, is an artist and filmmaker. She earned her MFA from the school of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2020 and a BFA with honors from Bezalel Academy in 2015. Her Work has been showcased internationally, including at the Locarno Film Festival, Galerie Historischer Keller in Berlin and YARAT in Baku. The Cavalry (2024) is her first film.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary, and Special Jury Prize Winner, Sundance, 2025, this exposé shot by a Russian primary teacher shows how the Putin propaganda machine works to militarize children.
The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes
A beautiful portrait of E.J. Hughes, who quietly helped reshape the artistic landscape of British Columbia in the 20th century. This extraordinary documentary explores Hughes’s legacy not only as an artist, but as a devoted, humble human being.
All That's Left of You
Jordan's submission for the Academy Awards, All That's Left of You makes the most of its epic format to chronicle seven decades of Palestinian history while tracking the psychological impact of cycles of exile and oppression on three generations.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Mixing documentary and reenactment, this film powerfully evokes the desperate attempts of the Red Crescent to rescue a six year old child trapped in a car under Israeli military fire. Oscar nominee: Best International Film
2026 Oscar® Shorts (Documentary)
Don't come to the program of Oscar®-nominated documentary shorts for escapism. But let's talk about the Canadian contender, Perfectly a Strangeness, featuring an abandoned observatory and three donkeys. More of this, please.
The Secret Agent
Having run afoul of an influential bureaucrat in Brazil’s military dictatorship circa 1977, Marcelo decamps to Recife to live under an assumed name — but he’ll soon come to understand precisely how rampant the country’s corruption has become.
