Quattro Volte, Le

2010

Italy/Germany/
Switzerland

Not Rated

1 hr 28 min

Synopsis:

Inspired by Pythagoras’s belief in four-fold transmigration—by which the soul is passed from human to animal to vegetable to mineral—filmmaker Michelangelo Frammartino’s wondrous docu-essay traces the cycle of life through the daily rituals of life in a remote mountain village in the picturesque southern Italian region of Calabria. Like a cross betweenSweetgrass and Into Great Silence, the nearly wordless Le Quattro Volte is a poetic vision of nature and the unbroken traditions of a timeless place, filled with amazing, beautiful images. An aging goat herder with a persistent cough (Giuseppe Fuda) lives out his last days in a remote mountain village, tending his flock with the help of his faithful dog. A baby goat is born and discovers the world, leaping in joy, trying to keep up with his mother. A majestic fir tree stirs in the mountain breeze and slowly changes through the seasons until the villagers cut it down, dragging it in triumph to the town square for a celebration. A charcoal kiln is built and set to burning, emitting mysterious wisps of smoke. This unforgettable film is like no other you've seen, acclaimed at film festivals around the world (Cannes, Telluride, Toronto, New York, Tokyo). 

Director:

Michelangelo Frammartino 

Cast:

Giuseppe Fuda, Bruno Timpano, Nazareno Timpano