Kickstarter

HERD IN ICELAND:

Lindsay Blatt and Paul Taggart are creating Herd in Iceland, a documentary about the annual round-up of the Icelandic horse, isolated for centuries by the country's oceanic borders.

Herd In Iceland began filming in the fall of 2010, when Lindsay and Paul traveled to Iceland to document the Icelandic herders as they collected their horses across the island’s remote terrain. During the summer months, the horses live a wild existence, grazing in the highlands and raising their young. Each fall, they are rounded up by local farmers and directed across the stunning landscape. This valued tradition is a social and cultural touchstone for both the farmers who own the horses and the city dwellers who travel to the countryside to participate.

The horse holds a precious place in Icelandic culture, art and tradition; for over 1,000 years Icelandic law has prohibited the importation of horses onto the island. By telling the story of this annual journey, Herd in Iceland captures the symbolism behind the horses and the nation they represent.

Lindsay and Paul spent time with the herders and others who ensure that this tradition continues. They filmed from land and air, foot and hoof across the vast Icelandic landscape, following and living with the herdsmen. Herd in Iceland takes you into a journey that is largely unknown but filled with meaning and beauty for those who sustain it. 

Where the Funds are Going:

We are thrilled to announce that because of the incredible Kickstarter community, our goal of $16,500 has been met! We are humbled by the experience and thank each one of our backers, especially those that shared their reasons for being part of this project.  The breadth of support has allowed us to think more broadly about the number of audiences that get to see our work.  So, we're going to continue fundraising on Kickstarter in the hopes that more money raised means more film festivals!  With that in mind we are making a new personal goal of $21,500. The additional funds will go towards producing the backer rewards and paying the taxes and other related fees associated with funding a Kickstarter. 

All the footage has been shot; we just need a bit of help with post-production. We have spent two years working on the film and are very close to having it on the festival circuit.

-65% of the funds will be used to hire an editor for a month of editing, as well as bringing in a colorist and sound mixer for the final film.

-25% of the funds will be used for festival entry fees, promotion, and the manufacturing of the DVD.

-10% of the funds will be used for translation and transcription of the interviews that were conducted in Icelandic.

As you can see, most of your donations will be used to hire actual people to help us complete our film.

The Filmmakers:

Lindsay Blatt and Paul Taggart began working together over seven years ago. Lindsay was the photo editor on the international desk at a news agency, and Paul was a contract photojournalist covering international news. Their first collaboration came about when Paul returned to the NYC office from a long assignment in West Africa. Lindsay greeted Paul with the question "Do you like whales?" Less than two weeks later Paul was on a vegan pirate ship full of animal conservationists chasing the Japanese whaling fleet off the coasts of Antarctica. The assignment lasted nearly two months and was first published in National Geographic Adventure Magazine; it has since been republished around the world in dozens of magazines and newspapers. The images were also included in a book called The Whale Warriors chronicling the adventure, and later used in the publicity materials for the Discovery Network program Whale Warriors. Since Lindsay and Paul's pirate days they have collaborated on numerous projects together. Just over two years ago, when Paul returned to the U.S. from Beirut, Lindsay asked him "So, do you like horses?"

Lantern Fish Media - the production company Lindsay & Paul founded in 2012.

Herd In Iceland - photography and film.

The photographs from Herd In Iceland have appeared in:
Herd In Iceland on The New York Times' LENS Blog, The Boston Globe's Big Picture, PDN's photo of the day, Yahoo! News, and Harper's Magazine.

Our Twitter pages: Lindsay, Paul, Herd In Iceland, and Lantern Fish Media.

Original music by Joshua Camp and edited by Field Work Media.

Pledge Rewards:

A unique set of rewards is being offered, so we can thank you! We are delighted to accept pledges at any level. Every bit (pun intended) helps!