Synopsis
Félix, a young, melancholic, and secretive shepherd, leads a timeless life in a mineral, inaccessible world where an invisible threat lurks: the wolf. Solitude envelops his days in the mountains, filled with tending to the lambs, setting up fences, and poetry.
A word from Tënk
On one side, daylight with the shepherd set against breathtaking landscapes. Towering, rugged mountains, sheep, dogs, and a man brought together through the seasons. On the other side, night. The wolf’s presence advances little by little—an omnipresent yet invisible threat—embodied through astonishing black-and-white thermal images. The predator suddenly appears, a pale, spectral silhouette. Then comes daylight again, with the injured animals that must be cared for. And the carcasses too…
The shepherd’s body and nerves are pushed to their limits. The viewer, in turn, is swept up in a crescendo of sensations and emotions. From the crash of thunder to the shepherd’s breath, the sound design and music amplify Louis Hanquet’s impeccable images, capturing landscapes, bodies, and labor with striking intimacy. Félix is one of those characters who resist, who do not reveal themselves at first glance. Like the mountains he roams, it takes time to journey through and to grasp his strength. A truly remarkable film that permanently transforms our way of seeing contemporary pastoral life.
Éva Tourrent
Filmmaker and Tënk France's Artistic Director
