A family portrait over 50 years: discover the daily life of a family of four generations of breeders

Three eras, three films, one documentary

Although they are not actors, the Bertrand brothers have been used to being in front of the camera for more than 50 years. Already in the 1970s, they appeared in black-and-white television archives, in vests with their arms crossed, in the middle of a livestock farm building.

Almost 30 years later, as the new millennium approaches, they agree to speak again through the lens of director Gilles Perret, a young neighbor who dedicates his first full-length documentary to them, Three Brothers for Life. This time, the Bertrans get their colors and the family meets new faces: nephew Patrick, his wife Helen, their children…

This year, the Bertrand family returns to cinemas to complete the cycle that began in 1972 and complete the film mural. 50 years later, have these breeders found happiness? How has their work changed their lives? And most importantly, is a new cycle possible after them? So many questions that they will try to answer in La Ferme des Bertrand, at the microphone and camera of director Gilles Perret, who knows them well.

A bright social portrait, but full of hope

Bertrand Farm Opens with Helen’s careful observation of modern milking equipment. After her husband’s death, she heads the family business together with her eldest son. And if the issue of machines and automation worries more than one professional, this is not the case for him. For him, these inventions are not a way to replace farmers and breeders, but to make everyday work easier.

Because if it gives space to the wonders of their profession (the pleasure of consuming fresh products, respect for nature and animals, the sublime environment of the high Alps), Gilles Perret’s latest documentary will not fail. Demonstrating the difficulty of their task. Of the three brothers filmed in 1972, only Andre is still around to testify to the exhaustion he feels, apparently forging a bond with his younger brother, who had already mentioned his need for rest in a 1997 documentary.

A fascinating temporal and social triptych, Bertrand Farm Juggling between images and eras to question the changes the breeders try, in scenes that are as instructive as they are touching, always tinged with Bertrand’s humor.

Even more fascinating is the documentary Gilles Perret As it reflects contemporary issues that sometimes apply to the working world in general, particularly the need to separate work time from personal life. Did the Bertrands succeed? Obviously not. And the emotion that overcomes Helen and her daughters when they talk about their missing loved ones clearly speaks to the harshness of their daily lives, even today, despite the increased means at their disposal.

However, hope remains for a new passionate generation ready to take over. Already, Elena’s grandchildren answer “builder” when asked what they want to do when they grow up. “We tell ourselves that we will not do all this for nothing!” – he cheers enthusiastically.

A family and social portrait spanning more than 50 years, La Ferme des Bertrand, a documentary by Gilles Perret, is now in cinemas.