New Documentary Film about Female Range Riders (Cowgirls) in Mountain West

[Bruce Tolley]

I don’t see the chaff forum anymore so I am placing this post here.

A movie review in my Saturday newspaper prompted me to drive an hour to San Francisco to see Bitterbrush, a documentary about gig workers in the rural economy filmed in what looks to be the Sawtooth Mtns of Idaho.  This movie is beautifully filmed and tells a gripping story about two hard-working women who love the mountains and the life of the cowboy.  The five-minute sequence about how to start a colt with a saddle is itself worth the price of admission. In real time, getting the colt to accept the saddle must have lasted many hours. My mom grew up on a small ranch outside of Billings that Grandpa and Grandpa lost in the Depression. But they all always had warm memories of life on the ranch. But the work is hard. Go see this film.

A trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd5wOoAXbjY

[Jo P.]

Thanks for the note – this is right up my alley.

[BlackHatGuy]

Thanks Bruce, looks like an interesting movie, will watch out for it.

[Monte Masterson]

Kind of a reboot of Brokeback Mountain, but with 2 female leads instead of 2 males.

[Bruce Tolley]

I have not seen Brokeback Mtn. But Bitterbrush is not about a budding romance between two woman.  Quite the opposite.  Not sure what other parallels there might be.

When they are not working the cattle (which is much of the screen time), the two women do talk about relationships with their fathers, mothers, boyfriends, horses, about job/life hopes and aspirations, and at one point, bank foreclosures on small ranches and farms.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

As a Nevadan who has sen his share of women working on ranches I say ABOUT DAYMN TIME!

[Author]

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