The YAMAGATA Documentary Film Library Friday Theater (November 20)

Films under the Blessing of the Great Mountains

●November 20［Fri］14:00、19:00（screens twice）

Alpine Ballad

Dir: Erich Langjahr / SWITZERLAND / 1996 / 35mm / 100 min
YIDFF ’97 International Competition

◆Erich Langjhar portrays the everyday life of a farmer in our time, a life which is endangered by the strains of a modern society defined by consumerism, the market economy, profit-maximization, share holder values, exploitation of natural resources and destruction of the environment.

The filmmaker observes, with a highly visual sense and sensibility, the trivial details of everyday farming life: feeding pigs, making cheese, milking cows, scattering dung, carving wood during the winter.

Langjhar does not however intend to explain farming techniques and their clich市, or to analyze the acute problems of today’s farmer. Nor does he romanticize alpine life. Rather, he is concerned with the value of ” being ” of existing in a world where humans still retain their identities and dignity, where people are still a part of their respected and cared-for natural surroundings.

There are almost no words, no dialogue in the film. The camera moves slowly. Landscapes unfold in breathtaking colors. His (the camera’s) eye lingers over insignificant details, conjuring up poetic and sensual images. Words and explanations are superfluous. The slow tempo and serenity of the film provide mental space which allows the viewer’s imagination to drift freely, meditating and reflecting on their personal situation.
（Regula König）

http://www.yidff.jp/97/cat009/97c012.html

Related screenings: “Films under the Blessing of the Great Mountains 2020”

 

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