The Last Victory
Siena's picturesque burnt orange buildings and olive green countryside are the setting for Tuscany's exhilarating Palio horse race -- a sporting event that hearkens back to the Middle Ages. The thunderous pounding, furiously paced, dangerous bareback race lasts only 80 seconds -- but its conclusion brings either euphoric glory to its winner or abject gloom to the loser. To its utter shame, the district of Civetta hasn't won the race in 23 years, yet this year the villagers, who have won by lottery a particularly prized horse, are consumed with escalating excitement at the thought of winning the event. Beautifully shot throughout lovely Italian landscapes, The Last Victory is a riveting record of the love of sport and a buoyant celebration of man's indomitable spirit.