by Mark Deming
synopsis
A boy is forced to take an unexpected step towards adulthood in this short coming of age drama from first-time director Geoffrey Boulangé. A woman is taking a walk in the hills with her two sons when one of them makes a startling discovery -- a horse with a broken leg that's clearly in horrible pain. The older of the two sons, just edging into adolescence, is convinced they must do something to alleviate the animal's suffering, but he has a hard time convincing his mother, who believes they should just leave the beast alone. Who's view will prevail in this argument? Hinterland was screened in competition at the 2007 Rotterdam International Film Festival.
