The TIFF-bound documentary “Cheyenne” follows a quartet of fearless cowgirls who compete at riding wild broncos on the rodeo circuit after nearly a century of being excluded because of their gender.
Variety has a first look at the film, in which director Taimi Arvidson profiles four cowgirls when the American rodeo circuit opens up a women’s competition for bucking broncs. The goal in bronc riding is to stay in the saddle for eight seconds without getting thrown off. And as a synopsis of the film emphasizes: “It’s a sport that teaches you how to take a hard fall and get back up again.”
“Cheyenne’s” main characters are Bee, a seasoned veteran, who is trying to provide for her son; Brooke, a relative newbie, who is learning how to manage the pain that comes with the job; Lake, who seeks a distraction from past trauma; and Ally, who is riding for the life-changing payout. Arvidson and her crew follow the quartet for several months as they compete along the rodeo circuit, testing their physical and mental limits to win a shot in the final showdown, known as “the Daddy of ’em All,” Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Watch an exclusive clip from the film in a video above, which reveals the physical toll the riders endure. “I didn’t feel a thing,” Bee says after being thrown from her horse during training and seeming concussed. “Adrenaline starts pumping. There’s a lot you don’t feel,” she says while putting makeup over a puffy black eye. “In rodeo, you’ve got to block out eight seconds of anything that is pain to keep taking it. If it’s truly what you want to do.”
Jenna Bush Hager is one of the producers of the documentary, alongside filmmaker Arvidson, Sarina Roma, Scott Budnick, Ameet Shukla and Ben Spector. Executive producers are Andrew Fried and Dane Lillegard.
“These cowgirls are courageous, smart, funny, and fiercely determined to make room for themselves in a sport that has kept women on the sidelines for far too long,” Bush Hager said in a statement to Variety. “They keep showing up for their dreams, their families, and for one another. I’m so proud of our team at Thousand Voices, our collaborators at 1Community and Boardwalk Pictures, and our talented director Taimi Arvidson for bringing these beautiful and extraordinary stories to the big screen.”
“Cheyenne” will make its world premiere as an official selection at TIFF on Sunday.
“The double standards are ever-present,” TIFF programmer Thom Powers said about the film. “Daryl, who trains women riders, sums it up: ‘A guy gets hurt and they hope he’s okay. A girl gets hurt, and they’re like, “She shouldn’t have been out there.”‘ For these trailblazing women, the only thing standing between triumph and defeat is their will to hold on.”
CAA Media Finance is negotiating the documentary’s sale as part of TIFF’s inaugural market.