The Yawarda (horses) show us who we can be.
Synopsis
Set against the beauty of Australia's outback, Guided by Horses is a timely and heartwarming hybrid documentary that blends reality with a cinematic, spiritual gravity. In this remote region, scarred by some of the world’s highest youth suicide rates, young Indigenous people navigate their path to adulthood through life-changing bonds with wild horses. At the centre of this journey is a one-of-a-kind sanctuary and its creator, Aboriginal researcher Professor Juli Coffin, whose own life was saved by horses. In an age of disconnection, Guided by
The making
Guided by Horses was made through years of trust, immersion and collaboration. Director-producer Sean O’Reilly began working closely with Professor Juli Coffin in early 2022, developing the film alongside her and the Yawardani Jan-ga program rather than simply arriving as an outside observer. Over multiple visits to Broome and extended time on Country, the filmmaking team spent more than 100 days living and filming within the community, allowing relationships with young participants, families and cultural leaders to grow slowly and authentically. That access was built on care, patience and shared intent.
From the beginning, the production was shaped by strong ethical and cultural frameworks. Guided by Professor Juli Coffin’s leadership, the team embedded duty-of-care processes into every stage of filming, including parental and guardian consent, participant review of material, the right to withdraw, the involvement of a licensed psychologist, and adherence to Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property protocols. The film was also shaped in collaboration with First Nations creatives and consultants including Mark Coles Smith, Stephen Page and Hunter Page-Lochard, ensuring the story was developed with cultural integrity from within.
Craft-wise, Guided by Horses combines intimate observational filmmaking with a cinematic natural-history sensibility. Cinematographer Sophy Crane brought both visual poetry and a background in biology and wildlife storytelling, helping the film capture horses not as backdrop, but as intelligent, emotionally attuned participants in the story. In post-production, the film underwent a rigorous 42-week edit built from more than 103 days of footage, allowing the emotional arcs of the young people and the horses to unfold with clarity, rhythm and depth. An original score by Caitlin Yeo and distinctive sound design by Weronika Raźna further shaped the film’s sensory world.
The result is a film made not just about healing, but through a filmmaking process grounded in listening, respect and genuine relationship.