!['Well, I better jes' oughta face it...I'm lost.'](http://www.littlestuffedbull.com/images/unseenfilms/fishtail/fishtail1.jpg)
Although chock full o' cows and centering on the birth of new calves, this is more than just a pretty nature documentary. The cows may be the scene-stealing stars - witness the scene where the herd queues up in a perfect line for feeding, as well trained as dogs, except for Betty the cow, who nibbles out of turn and received a scolding for it. It's Betty's keepers in the spotlight, however: the contemporary cowboys diligent at work and play, through segments devoted to their everyday tasks: feeding, tagging and banding the calves (with protests by a protective mother cow), night check-ins, and an extended sequence of a calf's birth and first steps.
!['Aw, Ma, not in front of the camera crew!'](http://www.littlestuffedbull.com/images/unseenfilms/fishtail/fishtail2.jpg)
Harry Dean Stanton narrates the film. His voice seems mixed too loud; his voice-overs are frequently jarring and flat. But the narration is suitably spare and the film mostly lets the action and brief dialogue speak for itself. There are no interviews: it simply follows the cowboys on their day, Stanton's occasionally over-eloquent recitations contrasting with the straightforward simplicity of the visual narrative.
![Meanwhile in the barn, the cows resume their p[oker game and beer blast.](http://www.littlestuffedbull.com/images/unseenfilms/fishtail/fishtail3.jpg)
Extremely naturalistic and compelling as it is straightforward, the simple beauty of Fishtail is in it's the bond between the men and the land, their gentle banter, and portrayal of a modern ranch hand's life with cows, horses, guns and lassos, and the occasional 4-wheel ATV. It's as fully formed as that newborn calf - a trifle unsteady in parts but still breathtakingly beautiful.
For details on Fishtail at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, visit the festival website.
I really would have loved to work this in, but couldn't quite pull it off. That said I was no fan at all of last year's AATSINKI.
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