White Mane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White Mane |
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Promotional poster
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| Directed by | Albert Lamorisse |
| Produced by | Albert Lamorisse |
| Written by | Screenplay: Albert Lamorisse Commentary: James Agee Albert Lamorisse Saul J. Turell Story:: Denys Colomb de Daunant |
| Narrated by | Frank Silvera Les Marshak |
| Starring | Alain Emery |
| Music by | Maurice Leroux |
| Cinematography | Edmond Séchan |
| Editing by | Georges Alépée |
| Distributed by | Films Montsouris Janus Films |
| Release date(s) | March 1953 |
| Running time | 47 minutes (France) 31 minutes (USA) |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
White Mane (its French name is Crin-Blanc) is a short movie from 1953. It was made by a French filmmaker named Albert Lamorisse. The film is based on a children's book by René Guillot.
This movie is about 47 minutes long. It was filmed in the wild marshes of Camargue, France. White Mane won many awards, including the top prize for short films, the Palme d'Or, at the Cannes Film Festival. Kids really loved this movie, and it was made especially for them. The story is like a fable, telling how a young boy becomes friends with a wild white horse named White Mane.
Contents
Story of White Mane
In the marshes of Camargue, France, a group of wild horses lives freely. Their leader is a beautiful white horse called White Mane (Crin Blanc in French).
Some ranchers try to catch the wild horse. They put him in a fenced area, called a corral. But White Mane is too strong and clever; he escapes! A boy named Folco (played by Alain Emery) lives nearby with his fisherman grandfather. Folco watches White Mane escape and dreams of one day riding him.
The ranchers try again to catch White Mane, but they fail once more. Folco asks the men if he can have the white horse. One rancher laughs and says, "Sure, but first you have to catch him! Your fish will grow wings before you can do that!"
Later, Folco finds White Mane in the marshes. He tries to catch him with a rope. White Mane gallops away, dragging Folco through the water for a long time. Folco holds on tight and almost faints. Finally, White Mane stops, and the two become friends.
White Mane goes back to his herd. Another horse challenges him to a fight for leadership. White Mane loses the fight. After this, he returns to be with his new friend, Folco.
The ranchers come back. They try to scare White Mane by setting fire to the area where he and his herd live. For the first time, Folco jumps onto White Mane's back. He rides the horse without a saddle across the marshes, over small sand dunes, all the way to the sea. The ranchers chase them and try to surround them. But Folco and White Mane refuse to be caught. With Folco still on his back, White Mane rides into the sea. The movie ends with the narrator saying that White Mane took Folco to a special island where horses and children can be friends forever.
Main Actors
- Alain Emery as Folco, the young boy
- Pierre Bestieux
- Denys Colomb de Daunant
- Alain Colomb Daunant
- Charles Fouhetty
- Jean-Pierre Grenie as the Narrator (French language)
- Charles Guillaume
- Pascal Lamorisse
- Pierre Moureaux-Nery
- Francois Perie
- Laurent Roche
- Frank Silvera as the Narrator (English language)
- Les Marshak as the Narrator (English language)
Behind the Scenes
The Camargue Horse
The story of White Mane is based on real horses. These horses live in the Camargue region in southeast France. For thousands of years, these small, strong horses have lived wild in the wet, marshy lands of the Rhône River delta. They are known for being tough, hardy, and quick. They are also the traditional horses ridden by the gardians, who are like cowboys in Camargue.
Seeing Camargue horses galloping through water, just like White Mane does in the film, is a famous and beautiful sight in the region.
Filming Locations
The movie was filmed entirely in the southeast region of France. Specifically, it was shot in the Petite Camargue (which means "little Camargue"). This is a marshy area in Bouches-du-Rhône, south of Arles. It lies between the Mediterranean Sea and the two branches of the Rhône river delta.
On March 19, 1967, White Mane was shown on TV. It was part of a show called The CBS Children's Film Festival. It was shown with another short film called "The Boy Who Owned a Melephant".
In late 2007, the film was made to look new again. This was done by Janus Films. They also restored the director's other famous film, The Red Balloon (1956). White Mane was remastered into a clear 35mm format.
A short four-minute part of the film is often shown on the cable TV channel Classic Arts Showcase.
On Video and DVD
A version of White Mane was released in the United States on June 30, 1993. It was put out by Columbia TriStar Home Video as part of their "Children's Treasures Present" series.
Homevision released the film on video on June 13, 2000. It was packaged with The Red Balloon, another fantasy short by Albert Lamorisse.
The Criterion Collection also released the film on laserdisc in 1986. They later released it on DVD in 2008.
Awards and Recognition
- Wins
- Cannes Film Festival: Won the Palme d'Or for Best Short Film, given to Albert Lamorisse in 1953.
- Prix Jean Vigo: Won the Prix Jean Vigo for Short Film, given to Albert Lamorisse in 1953.
- Nominations
- British Academy of Film and Television Arts: Nominated for a BAFTA Film Award for Best Documentary Film in 1954.
