Review by oOgiandujaOo_and_Eddy_Merckx

Jofroi is a rickety yet feisty old man who lives with his wife in Maussan. He sells their orchard in order to purchase an annuity and live his old age out with his wife. The problem is that the fruit trees in the orchard have long since stopped bearing fruit. The purchaser, Fonse, would like to tear them down and crop the field with wheat. Jofroi, objects to the plan but already sold the orchard.

Much humour has already been had by this point in the simple exchanges at the notary's office and in Jofroi's field. Whilst the film is comic, it also runs extremely deep. For my part it is almost a textbook on conflict resolution, I learnt from this film. The writing and depictions have a deep understanding of the nature of violence and sentiment, violence here meaning that which is not voluntary. Jofroi, half mad, and clinging to sacred sentiments, has no legal rights over the orchard, perhaps not even moral rights, but human feelings traverse those domains. Both Fonse and Jofroi suffer emotionally from their disagreement, both seek community arbitration. The resolution is finely crafted, even in the absence of one of the parties, respect is given.

I have seen showier films, I have seen maximal films, I have seen armies clash, dragons flame, ringed planets, gangs armed to the teeth. I have not seen a more human film than Jofroi. I wish this were shown in every school.