Bitterbrush

Seasonal cattlewomen Hollyn and Colie contemplate their itinerant lives as they herd livestock through the majestic mountain ranges of the American West in this illuminating observational documentary. Director Emile Mahdavian chronicles the quotidian rhythms of these women’s lives nearly six years into their professional partnership as they hit crossroads that could upend their nomadic existence. Through stream-of-consciousness banter during daily rides and quiet moments on the ranch, each woman’s personality and motivation reveals itself. Hollyn enjoys the work but questions whether she can continue once she starts a family, while Colie harbors ambitions to be her own boss. Slowly, they tame a new colt and challenge the idea of manifest destiny as quintessentially masculine terrain.