BRUNSWICK — “Run Free: The True Story of Caballo Blanco,” a feature-length documentary about ultra-running legend Micah True, will premiere at the Frontier Cinema & Café for a week-long run beginning Tuesday, Jan. 12. The film will be showing daily, Tuesday through Sunday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m., with evening screenings at 6 and 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
The opening-night event is sponsored by the Maine Track Club.
Micah True, better known as Caballo Blanco – the White Horse – was the focal character of Christopher McDougall’s 2009 best-selling book “Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen,” about the Tarahumara Indians of northern Mexico. Also known as the rarámuri, or “running people,” they are some of the best long-distance runners in the world.
Caballo Blanco was an enigmatic visionary who lived and ran with the Tarahumara after moving to remote Copper Canyon in the 1990s, and who created the 50-mile Copper Canyon Ultra-Marathon to honor their running traditions and aid in their sustainability.
Now in its thirteenth year, the race attracts hundreds of local Tarahumara to the village of Urique to compete alongside some of the best runners in the world. All race finishers receive 500 pounds of corn, which the international runners traditionally donate to the local Tarahumara, commemorating the spirit of sharing, or “kórima,” which is a way of life among the natives of Copper Canyon.
The documentary is directed by Sterling Noren, a filmmaker from Seattle who met Micah True in 2009. Most of the material for the film was recorded in the weeks leading up to the 2012 race. Shortly after that race, True disappeared in the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico during his daily run, prompting ultra-runners from all over the country to drop everything and join in the search. His body was recovered several days later, found on a trail in a deserted canyon by some of his friends.
“We wanted to tell the story of Micah True in a way that was exciting and authentic, so that viewers could get a sense of what an amazing and inspiring person he was,” said Noren. “Micah’s vision lives on and his legacy is honored in this film. The film shares Micah’s compelling message of love, hope and kórima with the world while helping sustain the people and culture that meant so much to him. We’re honored to be part of this project and are committed to keeping Micah’s mission alive.”
The 90-minute film recently won the 2015 Bud Greenspan Memorial Film and Video Award, presented by the Track & Field Writers of America. In addition, the film also was named winner of the prestigious Award of Excellence from the IndieFEST Film Awards, which recognizes film, television and new media professionals who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity, contributing to profound social change.
Most recently, the film was named the Best Documentary at the 2015 Arizona International Film Festival.
A percentage of the film’s profits, including from DVD sales, will go to benefit Norawas de Rarámuri (Friends of the Running People), the nonprofit agency founded by True to preserve traditional Tarahumara culture. Norawas de Rarámuri works to provide maize, non-GMO seed corn, and cash awards for participating Tarahumara runners, both men and women alike.
Tickets for the event are $10 in advance at www.explorefrontier.com or $12 at the door before each show. The Frontier Cinema & Café is located inside old Fort Andross, 14 Maine St., Brunswick.
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