An exploration of the cultural, historical and personal aspects of the cowboy hat, filmed across the United States, Japan, England and Germany starring Ray Benson, Joe Peters, Jr., Wim Wenders, James M. White, Larry Krone and many other cowboys, cowgirls, historians, hatters and artists.
The cowboy hat stands for many things including the American Myth of Re-invention, “that you can move out west and be who you want to be.” The original cowboys only existed for a short time after the Civil War and were mostly Black or Hispanic or Immigrant. Ronald Reagan rode in to the White House wearing a cowboy hat, but he was really from a small town in Illinois. Tom Mix wore a big hat because he was a little guy.
Wearing a cowboy hat instantly identifies you with a specific group. It allows you to be unique and at the same time part of a group of free-spirited people who have a certain code of life.
While we were filming, one person led to another, one story led to another and we discovered a whole film underneath that broad-brimmed hat.