"This is not a story about the tragedy of autism. This is a story about how, as a family, we took a leap of faith that resulted in, well, the defining experience of our lives. Please come with us," Rupert Isaacson states in a leaflet accompanying this DVD about an extraordinary story, which also was the subject of a bestselling book. He is a travel writer who is married to Kristin, a teacher of psychology. Their quiet life on a farm outside Elgin, Texas, was upended when their son Rowan was diagnosed with autism. Two of the most troubling symptoms of this neurological impairment are inexplicable and uncontrollable tantrums and chronic incontinence. Rupert and Kristin found themselves drained and exhausted by Rowan's need for close supervision.

One day they discovered that their son's mood changed when he came into contact with a horse named Betsy. The animal was very relaxed around Rowan and he was calm in her presence. After that, Rupert began going on regular horseback rides with his son. The Isaacsons were following a regime of regular pharmacological treatments, but they seemed to have little effect on Rowan. An epiphany hit Rupert when he recalled his writing about the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa and the healing work of shamans among them. Doing some research, he discovered that Mongolia is the one place in the world where there is a strong shamanic tradition and where horses also play an important role in the culture. Should they take Rowan to Mongolia? Although Kristin at first found the idea to be crazy, the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like a risk worth taking.

Much of their journey is captured on film by director Michel Orion Scott, who also includes interviews with insightful scholars and other experts engaged in the study of autism, a condition that seems to be based on neurological abnormalities causing a variety of symptoms including obsessions and social shyness. Scott gives us beautiful images of the vast spaces of Mongolia as the Isaacsons ride on horseback or in a van. They meet with a group of shamans who have agreed to perform rituals with Rowan and his parents. One of the healers links the boy's tantrums to Kristin's mentally ill grandmother and the hold she has over him. At one point, the Isaacsons suffer whip lashings administered by the shamans. Rowan bonds with the son of the interpreter, and they decide to have him accompany them to their encounter with the Reindeer People whose shamans possess legendary healing powers.

The Horse Boy is an incredibly moving documentary that works on many different levels. It captures and conveys the mysteries of autism and clarifies both its negative and positive aspects. Rowan connects so intimately with animals because they can sense his 100 percent attention and focus on them. The film is also about the continuing value of shamanism, the most ancient form of healing based on rituals and journeys into the spirit world. We also were immensely touched by the story's insights into the nonverbal connections between sensitive human beings and animals. But the most emotional moments in The Horse Boy come in its depiction of the breadth and depth of the Isaacsons love for their troubled son. They model for us a parenting style that is intimate, tactile, emotional, flexible, creative, and honest in its admission of fear, doubt, loneliness, and grief.


Special features on the DVD include additional interviews with autism experts, behind-the-scenes and outtake footage of the Isaacsons' Mongolian journey, and the theatrical trailer.