听 Both respectful and melancholic, Profils Paysans: Le Quotidien is the second in a trilogy of observational documentaries about agricultural life in France's Massif Central region. Veteran photojournalist and filmmaker Raymond Depardon pays tribute to various small farmers whose livelihoods are under threat from outside economic forces and their own declining health. There's little in the way of a conventional plot here. Unlike, say, Michael Moore or Nick Broomfield, Depardon remains an off-screen presence throughout.
Those familiar with Depardon's recent The 10th District Court will appreciate that the director likes to listen to the people he's filming. While most of the participants in that film were pretty talkative, however, the protagonists of Profils Paysans are a far quieter bunch. Depardon listens to his subjects - such as Marcel the 84-year-old shepherd or Alain the shy middle-aged cattle farmer - with warmth and patience. Unafraid of their silences, he persuades them to recount their experiences.
A mood of sadness weighs over this film. Properties and holdings that have been passed down over generations are either being taken over by giant agricultural businesses or giving way to holiday homes as the local communities die out.
"SADNESS WEIGHS OVER THIS FILM"
The impressionistic visual style is a strong case of less being more: the camera's fixed on a tripod and interviewees are photographed in long takes. Depardon is at pains to avoid sentimentalising farming. He keeps picturesque shots of the surrounding landscape to a minimum, in favour of more modest images. An accompanying short "What's New At Garet?" sees Depardon chatting to his brother Jean about their childhood on a farm.
In French with English subtitles.
Profils Paysans: Le Quotidien (Profiles of Farmers: Daily Life) is released in UK cinemas on Friday 28th July.
