Modern Life (2008)

Third documentary of a trilogy produced on the long term (together with Profils paysans: l'approche (2001) and Profils paysans: le quotidien (2005)), showing the simple lives of farmers in contemporary Southern France.

Director:

Raymond Depardon

Stars:

Paul Argaud, Louis Brès, Marcelle Brès

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Paul Argaud	...	Lui-même - 63 ans, un fermier solitaire
Louis Brès	...	Self (archive footage)
Marcelle Brès	...	Self (archive footage)
Germaine Challaye	...	Elle-même - sa femme, 70 ans
Marcel Challaye	...	Lui-même - 80 ans, un fermier
Jacques Chirac	...	Lui-même (archive footage)
Nathalie Deleuze	...	Elle-même - sa femme
Raymond Depardon	...	Lui-même / Voix
Abel Jeanroy	...	Lui-même - 63 ans, un fermier à la retraite (as Abel Jean Roy)
Daniel Jeanroy	...	Lui-même - qui a repris la ferme sans enthousiasme (as Daniel Jean Roy)
Gilberte Jeanroy	...	Elle-même - sa femme (as Gilberte Jean Roy)
Jean-François Pantel	...	Lui-même - un jeune fermier établi dans un hameau
Marcel Privat	...	Lui-même - 88 ans, un vieux berger
Raymond Privat	...	Self
Camille Quennehen	...	Elle-même - la fille adolescente de Cécile

Storyline

This the last part of Depardon's triptych "Profils paysans" about what it is like to be a farmer today in an isolated highland area. "La vie moderne" examines what has become of the persons he has followed for ten years while featuring younger people who try to farm or raise cattle or poultry, come hell or high water.

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Plot Keywords:

cattle | france | year 2007 | passage of time | life passing by | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

French visa # 109528.

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Connections

Follows Profils paysans: l'approche (2001)

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Soundtracks

Pavane pour orchestre et choeur mixte opus 50
Composed by Gabriel Fauré
(1887)

User Reviews

it doesn't deliver.

while this installment of the series does indeed provide some very beautiful shots of rural France and the people who are farming it, it fails on several levels.

it fails to tell the story of the farmers it's following. unless you believe that sitting around a table in an uncomfortable silence responding to excruciatingly slowly delivered, simplistic questions is a true slice of their lives.

it fails to tell a story at all, barely scratching at the surface of the problems faced by these farmers using traditional methods.

it seems more a vehicle for the filmmaker to proudly tell us repeatedly how well he knows these folks (which is not borne out by the reactions of the farmers to him or his questions), while feeding us sorrowful questions about death in preparation for the mournful, cello-stoked, backwards-view-of-life ending.

Details

Official Sites:

Ad Vitam [France] Official site [Japan]

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

29 October 2008 (France)

Also Known As:

Modern Life

Filming Locations:

Ardeche,France

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,418,958

Company Credits

Production Co:

Palmeraie et Désert, France 2 Cinéma, ARTE

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1