Buffalo Rider

Shattered by the death of her mother, Jenny becomes withdrawn and combative. As a kind of shock therapy, the girl's American stepfather sends her to live with her Thai grandmother in the backcountry of central Thailand. Jenny sees herself as an outcast until she meets Boonrod, a mute peasant boy shunned by his village, whose only friend is his sickly water buffalo, Samlee. Sharing Boonrod's sense of alienation, Jenny sets out to defend the boy against his tormentors only to realize that the pair will never prevail until they win the town's respect. And to do that, Boonrod must overcome impossible odds to win the annual buffalo race – a death-defying bareback sprint astride charging bulls. With echoes of "The Karate Kid" and "Seabiscuit," this film is a timeless story set in a culture that time is quickly passing by. (Zlín Film Festival)