Where does partnership end and power begin? This is a matter of debate among horse enthusiasts. In their documentary Unanimal, Finnish director Tuva Björk and Swedish filmmaker Sally Jacobson adopt the perspective of animals in a world dominated by humans. Horses also appear in the film. Through shifts in perspective, long, calm shots, and the capturing of gazes with the camera, the film portrays the unequal relationship between humans and animals, beings over which we still quite naturally assume power. Creatures that may be confined, sold, transported, or otherwise controlled.
Not every act of control results in immediate suffering. The film refrains from using obvious scandalous images that make it easy for viewers to feel outraged. Yet the imbalance of power is clearly visible even in seemingly harmless scenes, making the film all the more unsettling in its impact. The voiceover is provided by none other than Isabella Rossellini, who – a little-known fact – studied ethnology.
