Disappointment Valley: Saving the American Wild Horse ~ Southwest Flair Magazine Sept. 2010

Disappointment Valley - Saving the American Wild Horse - A new documentary from James Anaquad Kleinert and Moving Cloud Productions to be released to film festivals this month

Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Viggo Mortensen, Daryl Hannah, Governor Richardson of New Mexico, Congressmen Grijalva Speak Out to Save The American Wild Mustangs in New Documentary

Santa Fe, New Mexico —With the American mustang crisis in the news worldwide, award winning filmmaker, James Anaquad Kleinert brings his star-studded environmental film, Disappointment Valley ... A Modern Day Western, featuring Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Viggo Mortensen, Daryl Hannah Governor Richardson, Congressmen Grijalva, Pulitzer Prize winning American Indian Author Scott Momaday and others. Segments of Disappointment Valley will be showing on www.theamericanwildhorse.com to help educate the American people and our law makers in Washington D.C. The film is slatted for film festival release beginning in September.

"Disappointment Valley explains the reasons why we are seeing massive wild horse & burro roundups and why these majestic, beautiful, iconic creatures are being threatened and facing possible slaughter," says Daryl Hannah.

Anaquad-Kleinert's documentary examines the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) controversial policies on public lands, while investigating the elimination of America's wild horses and burros. Recently 90 wild horses have died and more than 40 mares have aborted their late term foals as a result of the Calico Roundup in Nevada. The BLM calls the Calico roundup a success. Many more roundups are scheduled for 2010. Since 2001, the BLM has removed more than 90,000 wild horses off their federally protected land. More than 24 million acres have been withdrawn from wild horse and burro use despite the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act. 36,000 wild horses are currently in government holding facilities instead of roaming on the land designated for their use. The BLM's roundup and removal policy is leading to the extinction of wild horses and burros in the West.

"I adopted a wild horse named Voodoo, who had been rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management and adopted out to a killer buyer. The man like many or most killer buyers, played a cruel game of acquiring horses and betting that he could sell them to slaughter before he has to feed them. But the problem did not begin with the killer buyer. It began with the Bureau of Land Management," said Willie Nelson.

Shot in high definition, Disappointment Valley, centers around dramatic footage of heart-wrenching wild horse roundups and interviews with Jim Baca, (former Director of the BLM), Michael Blake (writer of Dances With Wolves), Sheryl Crow, Viggo Mortensen, Daryl Hannah, Congressmen Raul M. Grijalva, Ginger Kathrens, American Indian actor’s and advocates Raoul Trijullo, Tokala Clifford Black Elk, Adam Waken Gonzolas, energy consultant Randy Udall, and scientific experts, as well as animal rights and environmental activists. The documentary examines the effects of gutting the historic 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act with the 2004 Burns Amendment—removing protections for tens of thousands of wild horses, many of whom have ended up in foreign slaughter plants.

"Killing wild horses, running brutal roundups and shipping them out the back door to slaughter has been going on for years. I'm grateful for people like Sheryl, Willie, Viggo, Dary, Congressmen Grijalva and Governor Richardson for their support of my film," says James Adaquad Kleinert adding, "Disappointment Valley shows how wild horses are problematic for the "New Energy Frontier" — the public land grab going on right now. Since America's wild mustangs cannot speak for themselves we're getting the word out." His short film, Wild Horse Spirit, was a pivotal part of the 2007 Emmy award-winning PBS series Natural Hero's. Now, in Disappointment Valley, the filmmaker explores how the "New Energy Frontier" public land grab is forcing the mustangs out. Big corporate oil/gas and mining companies are overtaking the vast majority of public lands in the American West. Disappointment Valley explores the corruption within the Department of the Interiors Mineral Management Service. Since the tragic Gulf of Mexico oil spill the media and public are beginning to realize how deep the corruption is within the department of the Interior. As Jim Baca (former Director of the Bureau of Land Management) states in Disappointment Valley "Our Public Lands are run by the oil, mining and livestock industries and it’s their way or the highway".

Disappointment Valley documents the struggle of the West's legendary wild horses. The film focuses on the stallion named ‘Traveler’ and the activism to release him to the wild after the roundup. Wild horses have long symbolized freedom, individualism and the free spirit of America. The documentary delves into the reasons behind the roundups and current impacts on western public lands by oil, gas, mining and corporate cattle grazing.

How would wild horses roaming free be in the way of corporate oil, gas, water, solar, wind and mineral extraction? Before a big corporation begins extraction on public land, leased out by the BLM, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is made. If wild horses are in the area, advocates will want to protect the wild horse environment. This would be problematic for the extractive industry land grab. If wild horses remain on the range then the public will want to visit the area. Energy and mineral industries don't want the public to see any violations of safety and environmental codes, especially when they want to green wash their industries.

Always ready to tackle challenges, James Anaquad Kleinert, the former World Cup competitor in aerial freestyle skiing has been hailed for both his high action winter sports films and his in-depth environmental films with a strong Native American element.

James Anaquad Kleinert works closely with and welcomes completions fund donations to the Spirit Riders Foundation, a 501(c) 3 non-profit (www.spiritridersfoundation.org). The Foundation produces multimedia state of the art audio-visual programming to educate, entertain and create positive action among people and cultures.

"Wild horses are living things who have a right to coexist in what is a vast landscape, which is the American West," states Viggo Mortensen in Adaquad-Kleinert's film adding, "Let’s do something about this."

"If the public could view what’s being done to wild horses, the public would stand up and take action," states Michael Blake, author of Dances with Wolves.

Fight for the rights of the wild horse in America:

The American people need to call:

The Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar (202-208-3100)

Director of the Bureau of Land Management Bob Abbey (202-208-3801)

Thank you very much for your time and concern

Watch the trailer

Links of interest:

CNN Report on Wild Horse Roundups, Issues with Jane Valez-Mitchell

Americans Against Wild Horse Roundups in Der Spiegel

The "Final Solution" for American Wild Horses & Burros

Disappointment Valley Trailer & Information www.theamericanwildhorse.com

James Anaquad Kleinert, filmmaker bio Moving Cloud Productions