Homeland Star Enjoys the Hwyl in Dream Horse

Damian Lewis, the original star of popular US drama Homeland – his character was executed in one of the earlier seasons – is among the leads in an anticipated new thoroughbred movie due for an early June release. Titled Dream Horse, and boasting a strong cast that includes Australian actor Toni Collette, the feel-good film is set in Wales where an impoverished group of locals throw in their lot to acquire a nag nobody wants in a quest for racetrack glory. With all the life-affirming joy that movies like Phar Lap, Sea Biscuit and Ride Like a Girl tend to evoke, Dream Horse purportedly engenders an emotion known as Hwyl in Wales. According to theguardian.com, Hwyl's phonetic pronunciation is akin to Hoyle, and is an amalgam of Ireland's "craic" and Denmark's 'hygge". Dream Horse is based on a true story. Almost certain to bring a quiet tear to audiences, particularly those who've toiled against the odds during COVID in the UK, Dream Horse follows an earlier documentary on the subject called Dream Alliance. Its theatre release marks a home coming of sorts for UK actor Lewis – he is half Welsh – who recently lost his well-respected actor wife Helen McRory to cancer.