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Today, I’m joined by David Block in the first of a series of interview for the First Glance Film Festival of 2016 in Philadelphia. I’m really excited to be able to do another round of interviews with First Glance, I’ve been a follower and major promoter of the #supportindiefilm hashtag and I’ve always loved the quality of work that First Glance brings to their festivals and today’s filmmaker is no exception.
For over 20 years, David Block has worked as a documentary producer/director and a freelance journalist. He is also legally blind and has been that way since birth but hasn’t let that stop him from creating amazing works to help raise awareness for a number of important issues. His film Gift Horses is an awesome project that shows how horseback riding can help with physical therapy while walking with the horse, touching the horse, grooming the horse provide emotional therapy.
Coming from a family with osteoporosis and severe arthritis, I can attest to the validity of the claim that horses provide an enormous amount of comfort and therapy for people with mobility issues. It’s always amazing to see how people open up to escape the confines of their limited mobility on a horse and the connection they make with the animal is awe inspiring. Gift Horses shows us all just how important getting in touch with nature can be and how that age old camaraderie of a “man with his horse” isn’t just a film trope but an actual way of life for some people.
I really enjoyed speaking with David Block about his film and his work in general. He has a ton of energy and is a great pleasure to speak to. If you’d like to check out more about his work and find out about his previous projects, head over to his website at https://www.blindfilmmaker.com/documentaries/
If you’re in Philadelphia in November, check out The First Glance Film Festival and make sure to go there and support indie films!
