Wall Drug may be the reason to visit Wall, South Dakota.
But just down the road there’s “East of Wall,” a heartfelt look at a widowed horse trainer that makes you realize everyone isn’t an open TikTok post.
TikTok, however, is where Tabatha Zimiga — who plays a version of herself — finds a market for the restless horses she tames, and an audience that warms to her hardscrabble way of approaching life.
A slice-of-drama that’s part documentary, part fiction, “East of Wall” tries to give outsiders a look at what it is that fuels her, affects her and moves her. It’s a fascinating piece of filmmaking that only shows its seams when actors pause to ponder what it is she’s saying.
In Tabatha’s world, there isn’t time to think through a move — she just makes it. When a wheeler dealer (Scoot McN