Small farmer: is the film based on a true story?

Small farmer: is the film based on a true story?



A story deeply rooted in reality

If Small farmer It is not the adaptation of a specific news, however it is nourished by a lived experience. His director, Hubert Charuel, knows well the universe he stages: he himself comes from a family of Haute-Marne’s milk farmers. Before turning to the cinema, he grew up on his parents’ farm and witnessed anxieties and sacrifices related to this profession.

To transcribe this reality as close as possible, Charuel has decided to shoot his film in the exploitation of the family. He also invited his parents to recite secondary roles. Swann Arlaud, who embodies Pierre, the hero of the film, had to train with real breeders to master the gestures of the profession and make his interpretation credible. This documentation work offers the film the impression of a surprising realism, immersing the viewer in the heart of the rural world.

The story of the film, although invented, finds an echo in many health crises that have affected the agricultural environment. Hubert Charuel was marked by the crazy cows crisis in the 90s, a period in which many breeders had to face the massacre of their herds. This anxiety is at the center of the film: Pierre, the main character, must take An impossible decision When he discovers that his cows are potentially infected with a fictitious illness, healing fever (FHD).

An agricultural drama that echoes the crises of past health

If the disease mentioned in Small farmer It is fictitious, it is inspired by several real crises that have lowered French agriculture. In addition to the crazy cow, which hit Europe in the 90s, the skilled fever epidemic in the early 2000s and avian influence forced many breeders a Massive massacre To avoid the spread of the virus. The film carefully captures the fear and helplessness tried by farmers in the face of these health threats.

Hubert Charge wanted to show the dismay of a young farmer who finds himself alone in the face of a dramatic situation. Unlike large operations, in which decisions are often taken on a large scale, Pierre manages his farm alone and finds himself behind him. The film highlights an aspect often ignored with the profession of the breeder: loneliness in the face of crises, The weight of responsibilities and constant economic pressure.

Mixing realism and fiction, Small farmer It offers an overwhelming look at a world unknown to the public. He conquered the criticisms and the public, winning three César in 2018, including that of the best first film and best actor by Swann Arlaud.

Source: Cine Serie

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