Beautiful documentary on a dying occupation on the French-Spanish Border
Yves, is the elderly eponymous hero of the story. An ageing shepherd in the hills of the Pyrenees who is in the twilight of his career and life - the two are hand in hand. His life has been one of simplicity, but now being upended by an old foe. It could read like an old west narrative, and yet this is more of a tale of mortality. As it seems the bear of the title could very well be the death of him and his occupation.
This is a clash of order and chaos; the shepherds are the order of the land whilst the bears are the chaos - unabashed, unregulated. Yves and his community are pining for help amidst the clouds.
The clash of the old with the new; shepherds have their means of working the landscape whilst the introduction of an old method which was removed and now returned brings hardship to a traditional method. Coupled with an ageing work-force with little or no apprentices following in their footsteps, the younger generations having moved to urban landscapes.
Yet for all the wide shots of misty mountains, sun-kissed hills and verdant forests, perhaps the most telling image is a close-up of the weathered lines on Yves’ face. They say every picture tells a story and you can see in the weathered face of Yves as he looks into another fire, the light upon his face shows the years worked and how the last embers of his being and belonging.
Visually arresting and ravishing in the cinematography by director Max Keegan and Clement Beauvois; they capture the natural world in all its beauty. This coupled with a delicate score by Amine Bouhafa evokes the passing of time mixed with an appraisal of tradition and community.
The Shepherd and The Bear is out from Conic Film on limited release from 6th February.
My thanks to them for the review opportunity.
