Doc Soup: Hot Docs' monthly screening series that presents Festival hits and award-winning docs.
Each year, international riders travel to Mongolia to compete in the longest, toughest horse race on the planet: the Mongol Derby. Intended to recreate Genghis Khan's 13th-century horse-messenger system, Derby riders must traverse 1000 km of Mongolian steppe, stopping at horse stations and changing mounts every 40 km. They face dehydration, hypothermia, exhaustion, extreme weather and wild animals, and all could be lost if they select the wrong horse and are bucked off, losing their mount or suffering severe injury. Following competitors from Canada, South Africa, Ireland, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA, filmmaker Ivo Marloh embeds himself in the race to discover exactly what compels these riders to risk it all for an experience that will change their life forever.
Director Ivo Marloh with participate in post-screening Q&As, hosted by award-winning author and journalist Rachel Giese.