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 arriving as an outside observer. Across multiple visits to Broome and more than 100 days living and filming on Country, the team built relationships with young participants, families and cultural leaders slowly and authentically. That access was grounded in care, patience and shared intent.

From the outset, the production was shaped by strong ethical and cultural frameworks. Under Professor Coffin’s leadership, duty-of-care processes were embedded throughout, including parental and guardian consent, participant review, the right to withdraw, a licensed psychologist, and adherence to Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property protocols. The story was also shaped with First Nations creatives and consultants including Mark Coles Smith, Stephen Page and Hunter Page-Lochard.

Craft-wise, the film combines intimate observational storytelling with a cinematic natural-history sensibility. Cinematographer Sophy Crane brought visual poetry and a background in biology and wildlife storytelling, capturing horses as intelligent, emotionally attuned participants. In post, a rigorous 42-week edit from more than 103 days of footage allowed the young people’s and horses’ emotional arcs to unfold with clarity, rhythm and depth, enhanced by Caitlin Yeo’s original score and Weronika Raźna’s sound design.

The result is a film about healing, made through listening, respect and genuine relationship.