Educational Media Reviews Online

Modern Life is a contemplative film documenting the dying breed of traditional farmers in southern France in the face of a changing world. Set in the Cévennes region, the film is made up of gorgeous long-take footage of remote hillside farms and arresting portrait interviews of the hard-living farmers.

There are many quiet moments and a lot of space in this film, lending an immersive feeling as the camera slowly makes its way down the road and pan over stark landscapes in rain, snow, and occasional sunshine. The camera lingers on the individuals allowing viewers to study their expressive and timeless faces. The interviews often include few questions and short responses, in which little is said but much is communicated in the silence. One gets the sense that the farmers keenly feel the changing of times and they are deeply frustrated with growing older or not being able to change the path they are on, and perhaps feeling that their life’s work will disappear when they do.

Modern Life is slow-moving yet thoughtful and well-crafted, and is clearly an ode to those unforgettable individuals and their disappearing way of life. This film would be useful in classrooms exploring how the “modern life” of globally-connected, commodity-driven and technology-based industrial economies affects traditional cultures and lifestyles around the world. This film also presents an interesting perspective on aging and lifestyles closely connected to the land. Modern Life is highly recommended for general public audiences and library collections supporting programs studying France, traditional agriculture, and anthropology.

Awards

• Louis Delluc Prize (2008) for best film by a French filmmaker from the Académie Francaise