At his dining room table, an older man eats breakfast at two in the morning before heading to work as his wife looks on. Outside, thunder beckons the arrival of a storm that will envelop the Churchill Downs barns in Louisville, Kentucky. Churchill Downs is known as the site of the renowned Kentucky Derby, but for a migrant community of Latine workers, it’s first and foremost their place of employment where they look after the prized racehorses seven days a week. Their hours grooming, feeding and calming rambunctious horses are long but throughout it all, they foster a deep connection with the treasured animals that they care for. Their work in the stables runs parallel with their hopes and aspirations for their future life in America.

Raúl O. Paz Pastrana’s Backside is a beautifully crafted choral portrait of the unsung and unseen migrant workers who demonstrate quiet strength in their hard-earned, resilient labor. Over the span of a racing season, Pastrana’s sensorial and inquisitive filmmaking scrutinizes the palpable social divisions in this environment, all while foregrounding the dignity and dedication of the workers and the interdependence between human and animal labor.—Jose Rodriguez

Raúl O. Paz Pastrana