“Bitterbrush” documentary highlights range riding local
August 3, 2022
A former Geraldine resident co-stars in a new documentary released in some theaters and streaming on various online platforms.
“Bitterbrush” is a coming-of-age, western documentary featuring two young women who contemplate their lives and futures as they herd cattle in remote Idaho. This film stars Hollyn Patterson and Colie Moline, both Montana natives who are not unfamiliar with accepting laborious range riding jobs. Moline is a local from Geraldine and graduated from Geraldine High School in 2012.
Directed by Emmy award-winning Emelie Mahdavian, “Bitterbrush” is a profound documentary that includes stunning camera work and sweeping classical music from Bach’s collections.
Close-up shots make the viewer feel like they are working alongside the cowgirls, especially with many scenes filmed on shoulder rigs for the camera to get close to the action.
Viewers also feel the isolation of the terrain as the footage cuts to an extreme wide angle. In these shots, the cowgirls are hard to spot as they are simply specks in a vast, beautiful countryside of the rugged American West.
Music and sound can either break or make a film, helping or hindering the message the director wants to express. In an interview published online, Mahdavian said she chose Bach piano music due to the “formal structure, religious faith, and, of course, depth of feeling” it evokes.
“Bitterbrush” is more than just two women herding cattle. It is an emphasis film about these two young people’s lifestyles on and off the ranch, as well as their prospects for the future.
The two women had been friends for about five years and had done extensive range riding work together, but the summer of 2019 when "Bitterbrush" was filmed is their last ride together before splitting ways to achieve their own goals.
Patterson discovers she is pregnant during the film and expresses how she wants a place to settle down and finally call home. Moline, on the other hand, has qualms about returning home and does not want the job in Idaho to end.
Moline discussed her experience being filmed for Bitterbrush.
Patterson and the director were mutual friends in Idaho and when the director approached the cowgirls to film them and tell their story, Patterson and Moline were reluctant at first. Both women had to take time to pray on the proposal and discuss if filming would interrupt their work.
Moline and Patterson accepted the request with the desire to demonstrate ranching and the world of agriculture to outsiders, as well as inspire other young women to participate.
“Our lifestyle isn’t active in the rest of society,” Moline said. “We wanted to shine a positive outlook on ranching and the agriculture ranching lifestyle.”
The summer of 2019 filming of “Bitterbrush” was especially prominent in Moline’s life, as it was a time she felt closest to her late mother – a time to grieve and heal. Kelly Jean (Allard) Moline passed away from a cerebral aneurysm when Colie was 14 years old.
Colie brings up her mother’s death in the documentary, recalling how she was able to memorize her mother’s hands while she laid in her bed for three days before her passing.
She said her mother inspired her to delve deeper into ranching and range riding.
“Women have always been involved in agriculture since the beginning,” Moline said. “They’re phenomenal...My mother was a part of that life and I’m honored to be a part of that community and keep that torch burning.”
Moline said she can’t express enough gratitude to her Chouteau County community for the love and support she and her family received during hard times.
“I would not be the person with all these opportunities without the help from everyone around me,” she said.
Moline wrote a long post on her Facebook page further expressing her gratitude to new and old friends that this filming experience has given her.
“In this journey, I have had the amazing opportunity to meet people outside of the culture I grew up in,” Moline wrote. “Through this new experience I have discovered we all have more in common than we ever have in our differences. I have discovered
we have the same compassion and concerns and I want to thank you for the conversations. I hope this small film can continue to be an avenue where we all can come together and continue to share, so that we can bridge the deep divide we see in our country and our world. I have discovered we are all incredibly misinformed about each other. But respect for each other, compassion and honesty given through a sincere and kind heart can and does lead to a beautiful future we can share with each other.”
Patterson and her husband have a healthy little girl and are expecting their second child this fall; Moline is currently working in Sheridan, Wyoming. During the summer, Moline is back out on the range and during the winter season she is busy calving.
“Bitterbrush” was featured at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado in 2021 and was released to limited theaters across the nation in June 2022. “Bitterbrush” can be streamed at home for a small price through streaming sites like YouTube, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV.