Windstorm

Mika, failing at school, is sent to spend the summer at her grandmother's stud farm and there meets a black horse nobody can approach. What she notices is simple and it is the whole line of the film: the animal is not stubborn, it is frightened. Katja von Garnier works inside the familiar shape of German family cinema, with teenage rebellion, a broken family, a bond with an animal and a race at the end. The riding is real and the doubling never shows, which is the strongest thing about it. The story proceeds predictably while giving the relationship between girl and horse the time it needs. It was a large hit in Germany and produced sequels. Who it is for: viewers who like horse films and family productions aimed at younger audiences. Who it is not for: anyone wanting surprise, since this sits squarely inside the formula.