LAGHAT, A SPECIAL HORSE

Filming ended in October 2024 and the film is now in post-production. Now they are working on the digital special effects to reproduce the particular eyes of Laghat, a real horse that became almost blind due to a fungal infection in its eyes. A horse with an exceptional destiny that, thanks to the passion and love of a trainer and some jockeys, escaped an already sealed fate. The post-production aims to reproduce all the sounds associated with horse racing, from the horses leaving the stalls to the sound of their hooves on the ground, to the enthusiasm of the spectators in the stands... Also to immerse the spectator in the atmosphere of a real race. It's the first time that a film about the world of horse racing, a sport with noble values, has been made in Italy. This is one of the original aspects of Laghat. The genre is very popular in other countries such as the United States. Just think of classics such as Seabiscuit or Secretariat.

The speaker is Michael Zampino, Italian-French director and co-screenwriter of the film Laghat, together with Heidrun Schleef, inspired by the book written by the horse racing journalist Enrico Querci.
 

What stage is the film at, and when is it due for release?
We are working on the digital special effects, in particular the steel blue colour of Laghat's eyes. We wanted to remain faithful to the true story of the thoroughbred now retired to a stable in San Rossore. The aim is to release the film by the end of 2025.
 

Was the story of Laghat a source of inspiration?
We took as our starting point the story of a horse that, despite his handicap, won 26 grand prix. However, we focused on the relationship between the thoroughbred and a young jockey, Andrea.

You didn't use the real Laghat, did you?
With the supervision of Jacqueline Freda, the horse master, we used many ‘Laghats’, horses with the same dark coat and morphology. This was necessary in order to shoot the different shots of a scene, i.e. to repeat the action from various angles. A technical exercise that a single horse would not have been able to physically handle.

Can you tell us the story in broad terms?
It's the story of a boy who, through his relationship with a special thoroughbred, manages to become more mature and bring out a talent that he had stifled due to unhappy family dynamics. The experience with Laghat will be an alternation of emotions: triumphs, defeats, betrayals, moments of doubt. They are proof that you never win alone. We always need the trust of others. Even when it seems impossible to communicate. We shot many scenes at the San Rossore Racetrack and then at the Capannelle Racetrack with the valuable advice of Jacqueline Freda, a great professional and former successful horsewoman. She made herself available to manage and calm the horses, which have a limited tolerance, and to coach Andrea, the protagonist of the story, played by Lorenzo Guidi, seen in the series ‘Braccialetti Rossi’. A truly talented guy who put himself out there to become a credible jockey.

Lorenzo Guidi, 22 years old, had only ridden horses for fun. He had only come into contact with horses thanks to his girlfriend, Martina Cretaro, a professional showjumping horsewoman. But he had never done anything more than being a groom.

Lorenzo, who inspired you to become a jockey?

I had the help of many professionals, such as Dario Vargiu, Dario Di Tocco, Fabio Branca, the top Italian jockeys, who were completely available to me. Starting from how I should dress and move. They were simply fantastic. Think of last year's Pisa Prize, despite the tension, they welcomed me into the changing room and immediately showed me their sympathy. I felt like one of them.

They told me that you got into character so quickly that they advised you to seriously take up horse racing. Are you thinking about it?

In fact, I was surprised myself. I took this training course step by step, progressively, thanks to Jaqueline, to the point that I learned to unsaddle and gallop at full speed in just 3 months. Only in a few scenes was a stunt used. Thanks to her and to Giovanni Trovato I was able to get into the part completely. I can tell you that I put a lot of effort into empathising with the horses. I won't hide from you that it might be an idea to ride in a gentlemen's race.

Apart from this love that has exploded for this sport, was there a sore point?

The only thing is that I had to lose almost 10 kilos. I weighed 61 and I went down to 52 to ride. Now I understand the sacrifices that jockeys have to make to fit the parameters.

And from an emotional point of view, what has this story left you with?

A lot of emotion and a feeling of solidarity. Andrea's desire to search for himself in a difficult environment, where emotions and sensitivity are intrinsic to a humanity hidden by fear. A thought came to me when I was on the horse, first of all it came to me spontaneously to free my mind, and that we must let ourselves go to what resonates within us and let it flow in a delicate way, without forcing, every fear to find our own path.

And did you meet the real Laghat?

Yes, I met Federico De Paola, its owner, and when I saw it I had a strange feeling. I felt like I had already met it. It was an incredibly natural and familiar interaction. I can confirm that Laghat is truly a special being, teaching us how ‘normal’ it can be to be different.


 

Photo of the author of the book Laghat, il cavallo ‘normalmente’ diverso (Laghat, the ‘normally’ different horse) by Enrico Querci.