Award-winning film-maker Mickey Duzyj talks horses, celebrating failure and sports
Watch his short film, The Shining Star of Losers Everywhere
MICKEY Duzyj’s The Shining Star of Losers Everywhere is the strange but true story of a Japanese racehorse called Haru Urara, who became a national symbol of perseverance during an epic losing streak in 2003.
The short film from the American artist and director picked up an award for Best Documentary at The Smalls Film Festival in London last month.
Hi, Mickey. How did it feel to win Best Documentary?
It’s wonderful to be recognised as a director and it was a privilege to make this film. Before I started working on it I didn’t know too much about Haru Urara, but we learned so much while making the documentary. She’s a fascinating character.
When did you first hear about Haru Urara?
When I was in studying at the School of Visual Arts in 2004, I read an article about her in the paper. She’d just lost a big race, but the stadium had sold out that day because everyone wanted to see her run. When she lost she was covered in mud, but the fans still gave her a standing ovation. I found the story really touching.
Why did you decide to make the documentary?
In America, there isn’t a similar story where fans celebrate their team’s perseverance despite losing. There’s a Japanese phrase “ganbatte”, which means to give your best effort at everything and good luck. It’s also an appreciation of the challenges we have to endure, whether you succeed or not. It’s a great lesson and it resonated with me. The idea that failure doesn’t have negative connotations is amazing, because in real life there is no way to move forward without having to deal with failure.
How long did you work on the documentary for?
A few years! When I started working on it, Haru Urara had been missing for more than a decade. When I first reached out to people at the Kochi Racetrack in Japan to set up interviews, they refused to talk about it because they were upset about her disappearance. But then in the summer of 2014, a farm outside Tokyo said Haru was alive, healthy and living with them. Everyone I’d asked for an interview saw the combination of me asking about Haru and her reappearing as destiny, so they invited me to Japan to do the film.
What’s next for you?
I’ve just been in Korea where I was researching a story about baseball.