My Darling
Experimental Film and Video Installation
2021-2022
As a child I used to ride and look after a pony called My Darling. I loved her so much that I wanted to capture her smell and make a perfume in her name.
My Darling is an experimental film about the relationship between humans and horses. A relationship that is sometimes described as a form of love, a love that is however conditional. Relationships of dominance, power and exploitation are apparent. The horse can be seen as a companion in life, a colleague, but also as property and a product.
However, having a horse is an apprenticeship for the body. To be a horsewoman/horseman is above all to know the horse through the body. All the senses are solicited: observing, hearing and understanding the horse through touch. This physical communication allows us to develop strong empathy with the animal. So how can we explain this ambivalent behaviour of adoration and domination?
Our relationship with the horse reflects a larger paradox about human behaviour. What does the horse say about our own history and our own dichotomy?
