Private Project

Heart of Compton

Streets raised us. Horses saved us. Amid the concrete of Compton, a young rider and the Compton Cowboys are rewriting what it means to belong—reclaiming space, identity, and community through horses.

  • Isabel Rose Soloaga
    Director
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Horses, Documentary, Educational
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes 45 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 30, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Equus International Film Festival
    Missoula, MT
    United States
    September 11, 2025
    North American Premiere
    Award Winner
Director Biography - Isabel Rose Soloaga

Award-winning filmmaker and communications strategist with over a decade of experience in multimedia production, strategic advocacy, and documentary storytelling. My work has been featured in Frontiers in Human Dynamics, Freedom House, Migrant Voice, The Sacramento Bee, KTVU FOX 2 News, Culture and Capitalism, and the San Francisco International Film Awards. A Film Independent + CNN Documentary Series Fellow, I am currently directing my independent feature-length documentary Growing Up in America: Life After the Taliban.

With 14 international documentary awards and a CNN partnership, I bring a dynamic approach to digital storytelling rooted in social justice and humanitarian engagement. I specialize in powerful, human-centered stories that spark dialogue and amplify underrepresented voices.

Alongside my filmmaking, I have a lifelong love of horses and a deep commitment to equine-assisted healing. I adopted a rescue horse and regularly work with equine nonprofits dedicated to trauma recovery and mental health. My horsemanship background is woven into my advocacy and community-based work, blending movement, connection, and storytelling in therapeutic spaces.

I hold a B.A. in Journalism and History of Art from UC Berkeley and an M.A. with Distinction in Migration and Global Development from the University of Sussex. Learn more about my work at www.isabelsoloaga.com

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Working with the Compton Cowboys and the Compton Junior Equestrians has been one of the greatest honors of my filmmaking journey. To witness young riders finding strength, confidence, and belonging through horses—and through the mentorship of this extraordinary community—reminds me of my own childhood, when horses taught me resilience, empathy, and purpose.

Through this film, I wanted to capture not only the beauty of horsemanship, but the power of community and identity it fosters. The Compton Cowboys are redefining what it means to be a cowboy, breaking barriers and reclaiming a legacy of Black equestrian excellence that has too often been erased from mainstream narratives.

Heart of Compton is a tribute to the transformative bond between horses and humans—and to the mentors who use that bond to empower the next generation. I am deeply grateful to have collaborated with these remarkable horsemen and women whose work continues to change lives, one ride at a time.

Learn more about their work at https://comptonjrequestrians.org/