Petit Paysan

Holly Cow! 2001 FEMIS Film School graduate/shorts director Hubert Charuel somehow manages to write (along side Claude Le Pape) and present a remarkably interesting and touching story about dairy farming. Thirty-something Pierre (Swann Arlaud - "Romantics Anonymous" 2010) has taken over the family dairy farm, with his sister Pascale (Sara Giraudeau ""Beauty and the Beast" 2014) carrying community veterinarian duties. When surrounding farms began to loose their stock due a stock epidemic, Pierre does what he must to ensure his farm doesn't fall victim to closure. While this topic may not sound like your type of movie, the story is so well told, and provides a glimpse into the world of dairy farming that is rarely seen, that the film somehow manages to grab and sustain your attention. Charuel and Le Pape get us up close and personal with the daily chores of a dairy farm, and show us how important and time consuming this life can be, especially for the smaller farmer. Arlaud and Giraudeau make a perfect brother and sister pair, equally convincing when odds with each other, as when they try to work together. Charel's actual father (Jean Charel) perfectly plays the father role here, with other family and friends in various roles. "Bloody Milk" will probably not make it to the big screen, so keep an eye out for it in your local festival. This film was screened at the Palm Springs International Film Festiva #PSIFF2018

Pierre is a diary farmer completely devoted to his cows and seems to have little time for anything or anyone else. One day one of his cows becomes ill with a fatal, highly contagious illness that he does not want to accept, nor let anyone know about because it would mean the mandatory extermination of his entire heard of cows, and of his livelihood and entire way of life. He goes to extreme measures to eliminate this problem. I found Bloody Milk to be a lot more interesting and emotionally engaging that I'd anticipated. To the one reviewer who did not like this film complaining that it wasn't their idea of a ''feel-good' film - that was not the director's intent. I think he did want to create an interesting, moving, and realistic portrait of the plight of one committed and passionate dairy farmer faced with the elimination of his way of life and everything he's ever known, and in that regard this film succeeds quite well.

The hell to be a cattle breeder in France, and maybe not only. The terrible burden of a young farmer, a breeder whose the cattle got infected by a lethal disease that could lead it to be totally shot to prevent a plague to spread out. You have here a very emotional movie pulled by flawless performances. I am sure that the director was himself involved in this peasant typical problem. Don't forget that in France, hundreds of breeders, farmers committed suicide after the collapse of their family industry. A so close to reality film.