Ride With Cowboys: Newsletters

We had budgeted one half-day to capture this. Five half-days later, we were still at it. Now, these gauchos are tough. But having anyone, even those of thoroughly calloused backsides, mount and dismount in wet trousers for 25 hours over 5 days, well...let's just say that horses and riders, not to mention film crew, were getting a bit sore. Gauchos in the Swamp But at last, we felt we finally had enough footage to build the scene — or rather, we were out of time and ready to hand the challenge over to our editor, Don Howard. If those horses do ultimately swim on the IMAX screen, his handiwork will have a lot to do with it.

Swimming aside, horses and riders performed wonderfully, and tirelessly, running through shots time and again, the men shouting and hooting in the distinct herding call of the gaucho Correntino, and sharing jokes in Guarani. They dove through crocodile infested swamps, kicked at piranhas that nipped their legs, and all the while their positive attitude shone through. If they were having as hard a time as we were, they never showed a lick of it.

Antonio Ready for His Close-up This shoot wrapped with another outdoor barbecue, crew and gauchos grilling meats and vegetables over an open fire, and swapping stories in different languages and, after enough beer, sharing "traditional" songs from our cultures. Next time you see Greg, ask him for his rendition of "Hotel California." Oh, the humanity!

Be on the lookout for our next newsletter, where we'll dodge tornados in Texas and grizzly bears in the mountains of British Columbia.

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