Though it was not planned, both movies were quite resemblant to each other in their central focus on humans who spend their lifetime in isolation in the mountains, exposed to their own feelings, animals or myths.
Sweetgrass is a movie about the sheep and shepherds who used to herd them in the Absaroka-Beartooth Mountains in the United States. In fact, this is the last journey in this area that was documented by anthropoligists and filmdirectors, Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Ilisa Barbash.
The movie is full of sheep action and natural sounds, with few monologues and dialogues eventually taking place between the shepherds. One scene shows us the sheep eating and chewing, who suddenly spots the camera, stops all its actions and stares at us, the audience. In another scene, we observe sheep in a very remote area of the mountains. We hear the wisstle of a strong wind, movements of herbs and bells that ring as the sheep move. We hear watchdogs barging at night and then the escaping bear, totally frightened by the sound of the gun that the shepherd made into the air to protect the sheep from this dangerous visitor. We see an incredibly beautiful nature and gorgeous mountains, beautiful sunrises and sunsets. We also see the sheep in the farm, where they give birth and their wool is cut.
In all, this movie is an amazing work of social anthropoligists, which shows us various aspects in the relationship between humans and domestisized animals, with the focus on natural sounds, when a human speech is perceived at the same level as the sound of grass and sheep bleat.
The movie reminded me about the sheep in jailoos high-up in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, my home country. Though the US and Kyrgyzstan are indeed very hard to compare, the pictures of endless lines of sheep in the mountains and breathtaking views of nature bring these countries much closer to each other.
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Winterstilte (Winter Silence) brings us to the Swiss mountains to learn about the conservative catholic family who lives there in isolation. The movie starts with the death of the father, the only man in the family, and shows how his wife and daughters continue their life without him. The scenes of the daily routine these women do are fascinating. We watch them brushing their hair, stitching and doing the prayers together - in complete silence, without words. The camera captures subtle sounds and their synchronic gestures only.
At the same time, the life is not the same anymore as the daughters grow up, as do their desires and feelings. They fall in love, they make love to their beloved ones, hiding it all from their mother. The scene where they are making the dough and laugh so vividly is very special. The old woman feels the changes, which makes her panicking at first, but then quite soon she starts to accept them. When she sees the empty beds of her daughters one day in the morning, she says farewall to them with a relieved smile.
The movie plays with symbols of fertility, masculinity and grief in multiple ways. Several times, we see the figure dressed up in bright clothes that represents joy and change. We see the figures in dark cloth with horns approaching the village - young men whom the daughters have been longing to meet. Finally, there is the scene where the daughters roll the eggs with their feet - the symbol of their fertily and readiness to start an independent life.
Winterstilte is the work of the young Swiss filmmaker, Sonja Wyss.
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Both movies were shown in Forum. I find this section the most interesting part of the Berlinale program. This is where one can learn about new trends in world cinema, promising forms and innovative aprroaches in filmmaking, a variety of unexpected and avangard topics - in one word, everything that goes beyond the mainstream.
As to the movies shown in Competition like The International or The Reader, it is always possible to see them in the cinema after the festival.
* Photos are taken from the official Berlinale Forum website.
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