Workhorse is an ode and essay on horse-powered labour through the contemporary experiences of three teamsters whose work and lives are intertwined with their stoic equine partners.

Workhorse is part of an ongoing series of documentary portraits that examine the relationship between rural communities and industry in Ontario. Formally composed, the film reflects on our ancient relationship with horses as living machines bred to work. Thematically, the film contemplates the idea of horses as biotechnology (animals domesticated, bred, and harnessed for their physical power), and the now largely forgotten role of the equine in the history of commercial and industrial development.

Biography:

Cliff Caines is an independent filmmaker based in Toronto. His films have screened internationally at festivals including the Toronto International Film Festival, CPH:DOX, Aesthetica, the Lucerne International Film Festival, and the American Documentary Film Festival. His film A Rock and a Hard Place (2015) received an Honourable Mention for the Colin Low Award for Canadian Documentary at the 2015 DOXA Documentary Film Festival. Caines holds a MFA in Studio Arts from Concordia University, and an AOCAD in Integrated Media from OCAD University where he has worked as a sessional instructor since 2006.