THEMOVIES

Based on the adaptation of a semi-autobiographical novel, D'où viens-tu berger? (Where Are You From, Shepherd?), a young, burned-out advertising executive, Mathyas (Felix-Antoine Duval), trades his Montreal life to become a shepherd in the South of France. He hopes, despite knowing nothing of the profession, that this move will restore his sense of fulfilment in the world. However, the harsh realities of working in the countryside soon force him to question his romantic vision of the new environment and its people. Fortunately, he encounters a soul sister in Elise (Solène Rigot), a shrewd official who also walks away from her desk job. The film touches on issues like climate change, politics, the economy, agriculture, and ecology. Rather than feeding into the prevailing pessimistic outlook, Shepherds sets its story in the meadows of hope and trust. Duval and Rigot are convincing as young spirits seeking a new way of life. Stunning cinematography, with masses of sheep moving like rivers in the French Alps, completes a film that moves between parody and utopia with head-on clashes of lifestyles. Note: Shepherds won the Film & Literature Award at Film by the Sea 2025.