Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre grew up in a film family and wanted to be an actress from a very early age. After creating her first play, however, she realized her entrepreneurial mindset pushed her to want to become a director rather than an actor.

Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre was attracted to animal therapy with criminals, which led her to direct the short, 'Rabbit.' As she dove into the subject further, she then decided to create a full length feature on the same subject, known as ‘The Mustang.’

In her directorial debut, audiences are invited to follow the story of Roman Coleman, a violent convict who is given the chance to participate in a rehabilitation therapy program involved with wild mustangs.

In this interview, the writer-director-actress discusses her “obvious” calling, her fascination with equine therapy, the blessing of the Sundance community, the importance of silence in her emotional film, the theme of violence, and the threat of isolation for criminals who wish to rehabilitate.

If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5