"Someone Will Catch Me When I Fall"
Sila’s blind faith in other people, as demonstrated in the title quote, is a characteristic prevalent in young children. As we find out in Michael Niermann’s ‘Riders of Destiny, when competing in a sport such as horse racing, it’s essential.
From my perspective, a career as a jockey seems dangerous enough. Hurtling around a racecourse at speeds of over 40mph, crashing against other horses and wiping out over hedges. But this pales in comparison to the ordeal of a jockey in Sambawa, Indonesia. Not only do the children begin racing at five years old, they ride barefoot and bareback too.
Seven-year-old Sila, a well-renowned young jockey, is the focus of this story as we learn about his life at home, at school and on the racecourse. Juxtaposed with this is the perspective of Romi Perbawa, a local photojournalist who has been both captivated and devastated by the lives of these young jockeys. His photographs inspired filmmaker Michael Niermann to spotlight this story, and also feature in the film.
The resulting 25-minute piece is a striking insight into the amalgamation of tradition and necessity. As Sila proudly shows the camera several cows he has won for his races, it is evident he enjoys being a jockey. But as a viewer, it is difficult to reconcile his pride with the fact that he must race to support his family, compromising his education and safety in the process.
Photo Copyright by Romi Perbawa
The film is beautifully shot – the scenes of the young children riding at the races are breathtaking and are balanced with a haunting soundtrack that makes the experience evocative despite its short run-time.
I particularly enjoyed this film as it successfully challenged my sentiments towards the sport. Erasure of tradition as societies are held to western social standards can be a damaging and ignorant practice. Moreover, unemployment rates are very high in Sumbawa and Sila’s proficiency on the racecourse provides invaluable security for his family. Yet when we’re taken inside the starting box and witness acute fear on the faces of the young boys before the race begins, it seems senseless.
This is a film that does not tell you how to feel and I highly recommend watching it. Not only for its captivating internal dissonance, but for its sheer beauty too.
You can watch ‘Riders of Destiny’ for free as part of Al Jazeera Witness’ programming.
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