An enterprising young man leaves the comforts of home swapping a suit and tie for a shepherd's crook, but soon enough the arduous nature of pastoral life in the south of France serves him a healthy dose of reality.
Clear-eyed about the messy and often brutal realities of a shepherding life while also allowing us to see the wondrous spectacle that draws people to work on the land.
Shepherds 2024
Bergers
Filming in landscapes that rival New Zealand’s own in beauty, director Sophie Deraspe takes us on an intimate journey into the shepherding life of rural France. Looking for a purpose beyond his corporate existence, Mathyas (Félix-Antoine Duval) leaves his native Quebec to connect with a traditional way of life in Provence. Initially ridiculed by the region’s seasoned farmers, he must prove his worth in an environment as beautiful as it is dangerous. Romantic dreams of escape fade away, as the hardships he experiences on the road to self-fulfilment bring deeper understandings.
Mathyas’s tenacity is infectious, and he is soon joined by Élise (Solène Rigot), a civil servant who feels similarly adrift in life. Together, the couple must shepherd their flock and protect it from the elements and other dangers that threaten the animals. Based on a true story, Deraspe’s latest feature shows them developing enchanting connections with the herd and with nature, and is sure to connect with audiences here too. — Madison Marshall