Ali’s 90-year-old grandfather always told his family, “A Turkman without a horse is not a Turkman”. Following in the family tradition, Ali trains the sturdy creatures for a grand race in a northern Iranian province. His favourite horse, Ilhan, has won him many prizes to date. But the tough horse-training takes its toll. One day Ilhan starts to ignore the commands of its riders and refuses to race.

Filmmaker Moein Karimoddini accompanied Ali and his horse over the period of one year. A tale of hard work and immense passion, this skillfully photographed documentary won an award at Cinema Verité, Tehran’s documentary film festival.