After being removed from the traveling circus, the only life he’s ever known, a nomadic gray donkey (EO) begins a trek across the Polish and Italian countryside, experiencing cruelty and kindness in equal measure, all the while observing the follies and triumphs of humankind. Loosely inspired by Robert Bresson’s Au hasard Balthazar, Skolimowski’s film puts the viewer in the perspective of its four-legged protagonist. EO’s journey speaks to the world around us, an equine hero boldly pointing out societal ills, and serving as warning to the dangers of neglect and inaction, all while on a quest for freedom.

Photo credit: Janus Films