In a surprising change of genre, Reichardt’s fourth film experiments with the Western. “Meek’s Cutoff” continues her obsession with outsiders, this time in the context of exploring the Wild West in the year 1845. It is also a variation on the road movie, since it follows the journey of a group of white people in search of the Cascade Mountains in the interior of Oregon. As such, this change in genre and period does not prevent Reichardt from remaining true to the geographical space of her earlier films or the search for a certain “American Dream” that always fails. Once again it features Michelle Williams (Emily) in a leading role, together with Paul Dano (Thomas) and Bruce Greenwood (Stephen Meek) and involves collaboration with Jon Raymond, who wrote the screenplay with Reichardt. A group of three families have hired a mercenary, Stephen Meek, to be their guide on the journey but he seems to be full of contradictions and does not stick to his route (the “cutoff” of the title). The journey therefore shows every potential for turning out badly, particularly since as they appear to be getting increasingly lost, the group begins to run out of water, threatening their survival. At the limits of their endurance, they are forced to place their trust in an Indian, whom they have taken prisoner, to lead them to water. There is enormous racism – Meek wants to kill the Indian immediately – and religious issues also emerge at this point, through the incomprehensible actions of the Indian (painting the walls) and the despair of the whites. “Meek’s Cutoff” is, once again, a film based on minimalist narrative and, unlike the traditional Western, the competence and intelligence of women. In this sense, it subverts the rules, displaying the small, everyday actions of the characters (feeding the animals, navigating geographical obstacles) in a particularly adverse setting. It is a film about survival, managing power and fear of the unknown. “Meek’s Cutoff” received its international premiere at the Venice Film Festival, confirming Kelly Reichardt as one of the youngest and most promising figures on the American indie film scene. It won awards at the Gijón Film Festival and the Independent Spirit Awards and was also a box office success and has been commercially released in Portugal.