Title: Horse of Kings, Thief of Hearts

Director: Mario Dirkx

Starring: Juan LLamas Perdigo
Mercedes Gonzalez Cort
Mauricio Soler Escobar
Luis Mahillo Garcia
Category: Movie / Documentary

Duration: 94 min

Language & Subtitles: English – Dutch – Spanish

Shooting locations: Spain, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, USA,
and Austria.

Release Date: 11/20/15 New York
02/21/16: The Netherlands

Started: 2008-2015

Awards: Winner of “Best Equestrian Documentary Full International!” at the EQUUS Film Festival in NYC

Website: http://horseofkingsthemovie.com, https://horselifestyle.tv

“They have such a heart and they are so generous. They will give you even what they don’t have, the will try give to you.” – Mercedes Gonzalez Cort

“Horse of Kings, Thief of Hearts” is a film that will sweep you away into the stunning and historic lands of Spain that the Carthusian horse call home. An ancient breed that has taken center stage in legends and folklore, films and live performances,  these horses are truly, horses of kings. Gallop away into the history of these horses in Film Director Mario Dirkx’s film of epic proportions, Horse Of Kings, Thief Of Hearts.

“Winner of the Best International Documentary, Horse of Kings, is an ode to the gorgeous Carthusian Andalusian Horses.” – Equus Film Festival 2015

Mario Dirkx worked on “Thief Of Hearts” from 2008 to 2015, showcasing the breed’s roots, triumphs and future of the Spanish horse that people throughout the ages fought to keep pure. Mario  says he was inspired by his two  Carthusian horses to create this film about one of the last pure lines of Spanish horses.

“When a man mounts a Carthusian Horse, he imagines himself in heaven, without leaving
earth.” – Juan Llamas Perdigo

Set in the colorful, dreamlike landscape of Southern Spain, “Thief of Hearts” will take you into the old Carthusian monastery in Jerez de la Frontera,where the Carthusian horses have been pure bred by Carthusian monks for centuries, making this line of horses to be one of the purest.

Horse of Kings is the story of the Carthusian horse and gives you a view into the Andalusian culture. It’s not only a film for horse people and I hope that many people will see the film. The German broadcast company WDR and ARTE are broadcasting the film around the world games in Aachen this year. We hope to find many
other broadcast company around the world. The spanish horse earns it!-Mario Dirkx, Director

Joined by some of the experts of the Andalusian breed like Mercedes Conzalez Cort, Juan Llamas, people of the State stud and the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, Mario’s quest to share this wonderfully versatile breed with the world continues.

While enjoying the journey this spectacular film takes you on, you will find the answers to your questions about the history of this horse of kings. Below is an excerpt for the beginning of this award winning documentary:

When I’m in my garden in the winter and the fields of the Dutch countryside, when a watery sun gently draws traces of light, I experience endless pleasure. Especially when my young Carthusian stallion, his coat still a soft grey colour, frolics happily through the snowy grass. Graceful as the snowflakes tumbling in the air. It is almost as if poetry flows from his playful trot, gallop and jump as he lets loose the inner joy bursting forth from his young heart.
My heart sings as he comes to me full of primitive high spirits to show me his loyalty
and friendship and involve me in his game before he sprints off again.

And this image fires my desire to learn more about this magnificent Spanish horse breed. It is a breed that has been portrayed so often in history. There are many, many stories about its noble character, fiery temperament and impressive appearance.

How and why did this breed come about? How did the bloodline of the Carthusian horse remain so pure? What role did the Carthusian monks in the Spanish Jerez de la Frontera play in its history? Is this Spanish breed threatened by all kinds of breeding programmes or is it that the pure Carthusian bloodline is nurtured and safeguarded?

My curiosity led me to set out for Spain. It is in Jerez de la Frontera, where the roots of my own young stallion begin, that I started my search for the answers to my questions.

In this search we visit the Feria and see the culture of Andalusia. We show the history of the Carhusian Horse, cattle herding, saddle making, War Horse and Show, Morphology, End of the Carthusion Monastery, Showtime with The Peraltas, Bullfighting & La Parrilla, Breeding Farm Hierro del Bocado, Jacobo Delgado Las Lumbreras, Sport Horse and the Future of the Carthusian breed…

Below is Film Director Mario Dirkx’s exclusive interview on #equinearthour on Twitter this past Sunday, May 29th. Go to @equinearthour on Twitter every Sunday, 4-5pm EST to interact with some of the world’s top equine artists from around the globe!

TFS: Do you ride and did grow up around horses? Does anyone else in your family like horses or make films?

MD: Yes I ride a little, filming takes a lot of time!
No, I am the only person in the family who is making films. My 2 sons are riding and my ex wife also.

TFS: How did you chose the music for the different scenes? A lot of it seems to fit so perfectly for the film.

MD: The music is created for the movie by my good friends Gino & Jiri Taihuttu. So it was composed for the movie!

TFS: Did you ride any of the horses that were on set?
MD: Yes, a few, but mostly I was behind the camera. Shooting the pictures was fantastic! The picture for the film poster was done be photographer Hugo Thomassen, And I did the ground work with “Generoso”!
What do you find most interesting about the Carthusian horses?
 MD: The fine character that they have.

TFS: Did you have to make any special changes to accommodate the horses/people in the film?
MD: The movie is completely shot on location, so there were no special arrangements. Only to build a lot of black background for a few scenes.

TFS: Did you need any special permits to film at select locations?
MD: Yes, we needed a permit for a few locations, but most of the great locations invited us for the film. Thanks to Juan Llamas!

TFS: The scenery was stunning. Would you tell us about shooting out in the open countryside?
MD: Shooting in Spain is fantastic. Many times we had to search for the horse on big country sites. I was like doing a wild life film. The scenes
in the sunset were really great. There was a lot of wind and we had to stabilize all the shots in post. But the end result is just great!

TFS: Horse Of Kings won Best Equestrian Documentary Full International at the EQUUS Film Festival. Can you tell us how that felt?
MD: We had a deadline when we signed up for the festival. The film was ready  November 18th 2015, the dcp (Digital Cinema Package) was made over night, we (me and my producer Marc Smedema, from Orange Labels Films) flew in on the 19 of november 2015. Delivered the movie 15 minutes before the start of the festival. Missed our one screening on the big screen. Had a private viewing the next day and in the evening of November 21st and then it was “the winner is……” What a story!
TFS: Have you been apart of other Film Festivals?

MD: The next festival is the Wild Life Film Festival in Holland in October!

TFS: Since these horses have such soft and reflective coats, did you have to use any special kinds of lighting when filming?

MD: No, we did a lot with existing light. Most of the scenes were lit with the use of daylight lamps and big soft boxes. The poster shot was done by the photographer Hugo Thomassen and I did the ground work with the horse, Generose. We used 3 flash lights and could only take one shot a time on a big format camera.