Bitterbrush

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1:40

Bitterbrush

Released Jun 17, 2022

1h 38m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

34 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Emelie Mahdavian's sweeping documentary BITTERBRUSH follows Hollyn Patterson and Colie Moline, range riders who are spending their last summer herding cattle in remote Idaho. Totally off the grid with only their dogs as companions, Hollyn and Colie brave inclement weather and perilous work conditions while pondering their futures. A portrait of friendship, life transitions, and the work of two skilled young women in the isolated and beautiful landscape of the American West, BITTERBRUSH is an intimate portrayal of a way of life rarely seen on film.

Critics Consensus

Bitterbrush presents a spare, alluringly meditative portrait of work and friendship poised between tradition and modernity.

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Peter Sobczynski

RogerEbert.com

I found myself mesmerized by this spare, affecting, and powerfully humane work that may seem quiet and reserved, but which ends up packing a surprisingly powerful emotional punch by the end.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jun 17, 2022

Full Review

Nicolas Rapold

New York Times

Hollyn and Colie’s experiences impress not as a spectacle but as a memory of a few seasons, with a wistful touch, before each moved on to her next station in life.

Jun 16, 2022

Full Review

Martin Tsai

AV Club

Bitterbrush dispels a few enduring myths and stereotypes about the American West that media have perpetuated for ages. Indeed, this is neither Sam Elliott's vision nor Jane Campion's.

Rated: B

Jun 16, 2022

Full Review

Sarah Boslaugh

TheArtsStl

[Hollyn and Colie are] not just in the landscape, they’re of it, and Bitterbrush immerses you in their world.

Rated: 8/10

Jan 3, 2023

Full Review

Loren King

Newport This Week (RI)

Emelie Mahdavian’s observational documentary Bitterbrush accumulates in quiet power and poignancy. By the end, it’s unlikely you’ll want to leave the two young women cattle herders that the film follows through the seasons of work.

Aug 19, 2022

Full Review

Carla Hay

Culture Mix

Filmed with earnest simplicity, Bitterbrush is an up-close portrait of two female range riders working in rural Idaho. People who appreciate rancher documentaries and stunning, mountainous cinematography might be interested. Everyone else might be bored.

Aug 17, 2022

Full Review

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Emelie Mahdavian

Director

Hollyn Patterson

Self

Colie Moline

Self

Su Kim

Producer

Emelie Mahdavian

Producer

Laurene Powell-Jobs

Executive Producer

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Bitterbrush: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Emelie Mahdavian's sweeping documentary BITTERBRUSH follows Hollyn Patterson and Colie Moline, range riders who are spending their last summer herding cattle in remote Idaho. Totally off the grid with only their dogs as companions, Hollyn and Colie brave inclement weather and perilous work conditions while pondering their futures. A portrait of friendship, life transitions, and the work of two skilled young women in the isolated and beautiful landscape of the American West, BITTERBRUSH is an intimate portrayal of a way of life rarely seen on film.

Director: Emelie Mahdavian
Producer: Su Kim, Emelie Mahdavian
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 17, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 24, 2022
Runtime: 1h 38m