I had looked forward to this film, expecting a really excellent documentary on the hay making in the Swiss Alps. To those who know nothing of the tough lives of Alpine Farming it will provide an introduction to one aspect of this life. It contains lots of sounds of Alpine song and dance. It does provide a close look at one communities work in the mountains.
The film starts with a good introduction by an elderly farmer on some Alpine farming customs, it continues with some explanation of the task at hand. However it appears the narrator and director went off into the mountains for much of the film as it fails to document the Haymaking process thoroughly. There is displays of the tools and some of, the social life connected to the hay making. If You have good knowledge of alpine farming and lifestyle, I think You will be a bit disappointed The film would have been better, if the quality of the first interview continued through the film and also the narration continued. Without this I think, it looks like be best of this film ended up as chaff on the cutting room floor, quite unlike the hay the farmers were making.
As a wrap up it does have some excellent shots of some of the farming practices (winter and summer) that will make You appreciate what goes into the traditions of these wonderful people.
The film starts with a good introduction by an elderly farmer on some Alpine farming customs, it continues with some explanation of the task at hand. However it appears the narrator and director went off into the mountains for much of the film as it fails to document the Haymaking process thoroughly. There is displays of the tools and some of, the social life connected to the hay making. If You have good knowledge of alpine farming and lifestyle, I think You will be a bit disappointed The film would have been better, if the quality of the first interview continued through the film and also the narration continued. Without this I think, it looks like be best of this film ended up as chaff on the cutting room floor, quite unlike the hay the farmers were making.
As a wrap up it does have some excellent shots of some of the farming practices (winter and summer) that will make You appreciate what goes into the traditions of these wonderful people.
