By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist
From ranches in Montana to ranches in Argentina, the film Cowboys Without Borders explores agricultural roots and the true heart and influences on the American cowboy.
The independent film was directed by sixth-generation Texan Gaston Davis.
“Cowboys Without Borders seeks to bridge the gap between rural America and urban America,” Davis said. “We all have agricultural roots and come from someone who is working in agriculture. The further and further we get removed from that, the more distant that we get to knowing what agriculture is. We wanted to shed light on an industry that does not seek much attention or shed light on itself.”
After spending almost six months learning about ranching and the way of life in South America, Davis saw the need to tell the story of the heart of cowboys.
“It was a humbling experience. I have the luxury of coming back home to my wife and son, but these individuals, for the most part, are separated from their families, earning a living and only able to see them three or four times a year, if they’re lucky,” Davis said. “They’re very humble. They’re hard workers. They’re independent. I saw that in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, all these different countries.”
Davis noticed the cowboys he worked with shared some characteristics—their passion and hard work.
The film explores ranches and shares the stories of cowboys from Argentina, Mexico, Montana and Texas. Davis noted that from North America to Central and South America, there were many differences, but one end goal.
“You go to each location, and everyone has a sense of humility, of independence, but they want to work together as a team,” he said. “The differences are the way of accomplishing each task and how it looks. For example, in Montana they use dirt bikes. They stress that it takes horseback, too. They need both. Whenever you’re breaking a horse in Mexico, it’s the way it’s always been done.”
The techniques and practices varied in each area. The technology and tools each ranch had access to depended on their location, too.
Davis created the film with producer Ilissa Nolan and cinematographer Alex Walker.
“From the beginning, Ilissa and I wanted to show the heartbeat behind the agriculture industry, which are the people hard at work within it. I hope people take away a better understanding and appreciation for the service they provide. It’s more than just boots, spurs and chaps. It’s a lot of hard work, relentless effort and grit,” Davis said.
Cowboys Without Borders is available to stream on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and iTunes, Google Play and YouTube.
To learn more about the film, visit CowboysWithoutBorders.com.
A First-Class film indeed