A classic road movie, Tracing Cowboys tells the story of two individuals
searching for their own identity, while separated from each other. Ethan
is a young Englishman obsessed with his hero John Wayne and intent on
becoming a Country and Western singer. When his girlfriend Debi leaves
without explanation, Ethan travels down to Mexico during the festival of
the Day of the Dead intent on finding her. The only map he has is contained
within photographs Debi has taken during her journey, and no matter how
far he travels the whereabouts of Debi remain elusive, until her photos
point Ethan toward the films surprising and dramatic conclusion.
From Metropolitan Los Angeles, through the desert south west and down
the scarcely populated Baja California inner coastline, the film explores
the indigenous traditions of love, life and death in this haunting poetic
romance. On the final day of shooting, lead actor Sacha Grunpeter was
killed in a tragic car accident. Tracing Cowboys stands as testament to his
vision for the film, an unmistakable convergence of art and life.
